On Monday, Italy sent its first boat carrying migrants to Albania as part of a new initiative to transfer individuals rescued by Italian ships in the Mediterranean to detention centers in the Balkan country, where their asylum applications will be processed.

The Italian government and some EU leaders have praised the program as a novel approach to managing and reducing migration to Italy. However, human rights organizations and officials have raised concerns, warning that the plan could endanger migrants and expose them to potential rights violations.

The detention centers, located in the Albanian towns of Schengjin and Gjader, began operations last week. According to Francesco Kamel, a spokesperson for Italy’s interior ministry, 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh were rescued in international waters and are expected to arrive in Albania on Wednesday morning.

Italy has stated that only “non-vulnerable” men from “safe countries” will be sent to Albania. Vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant women, and those with illnesses or disabilities, will instead be brought directly to Italy for processing.

Upon arrival in Albania, migrants will be able to register their asylum claims and have their cases heard remotely by Italian judges. Although asylum procedures often take months, Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, said last week that they expect decisions to be made within a few days.

If an asylum claim is denied, the migrants will be deported by Albania back to their countries of origin.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described the plan as a “model of cooperation between EU and non-EU nations in handling migration flows.” Although Albania is not yet an EU member, it is currently a candidate for membership.

Critics, however, argue that the plan represents a dangerous “outsourcing” of border control. Dunja Mijatovic, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, cautioned that such measures “substantially increase the risk of exposing refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants to human rights violations.”

Elly Schlein, leader of Italy’s opposition Democratic Party, criticized the government on Monday for wasting public funds on constructing the migrant centers in Albania.

Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, has endorsed the plan, calling it “an innovative solution, based on a fair sharing of responsibilities with third countries.”

Last week, Piantedosi expressed hopes that the program would act as a deterrent for migrants considering traveling to Italy.

The agreement with Albania mirrors a similar proposal by the British government, which sought to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing before their claims were heard in the UK. However, British courts have blocked the implementation of that plan.

Meloni noted that she had discussed the Albania plan with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his recent visit to Italy, adding that the British government had shown “significant interest” in the initiative.