The Albanian Parliament approved Thursday the controversial migrant deal with Albania. MPs gave the green light with 77 votes pro, as three members of the Party for Justice, Integration and Unity joined votes with the ruling majority.

The agreement, signed by Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, in Rome last November, includes the formation by Italy of reception centers in Albania for up to 3,000 migrants and refugees per month rescued by Italian ships in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Since taking office in autumn 2022, the right-wing Meloni government has been reaching out to third countries in a bid to stem irregular migration by sea to Italy, which in 2023 rose around 50% during the previous year.

Two processing centers will be set up in Albania at a cost to Italy of more than 600 million euros (about $650 million) over five years. The facilities would be fully run by Italy while it fast-tracks their asylum requests. Meloni has said she expects them to become operational by the spring of 2024.