Council of Europe Backs Italy’s Migrant Deportation Model
The Council of Europe just gave a major boost to Italy's approach to migration, adopting a new interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights that makes it easier for states to deport migrants, including to third-country holding centers.
The declaration, approved by all 46 member states at a summit in Chisinau, Moldova, redefines how Articles 3 and 8 of the Convention apply to migration cases. Article 3 covers protection from torture and degrading treatment, while Article 8 covers the right to private and family life. Under the new interpretation, states can now expel foreign nationals despite Article 8 protections, as long as the decision is balanced against a legitimate aim like national security. The European Court of Human Rights would need "valid reasons" to override a government's deportation call.
Crucially, the declaration also endorses cooperation with third countries on migration, including the use of "repatriation centres," provided those countries meet human rights standards. That's a direct green light for Italy's Albania model, where migrants intercepted at sea are processed in Albanian facilities rather than on Italian soil.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called it a historic win. Writing on social media, she said the declaration recognizes the legitimacy of "innovative solutions" like third-country repatriation hubs, and credited Italy and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen with pushing the process forward. "What was prompting debate only a year ago," Meloni wrote, "has today become a principle shared by the 46 member states of the Council of Europe."
Italy's Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Massimo Dell'Utri framed the result as a necessary update to Europe's legal tools, citing the need to address irregular migration while also cracking down on smuggling networks and organized crime.
The summit also produced a founding decision, backed by 36 states including Italy and the EU, establishing a Special Tribunal for Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine.
