It was an embarrassing defeat for Italy's government. Just weeks ago, at an EU summit, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had been promoting her "innovative" approach to processing asylum applications in non-EU third countries.

But now, the processing and detention facilities constructed in Albania expressly for this purpose are empty once again — save a few Italian staff.

In October, Meloni's government had been forced to return the first 16 asylum seekers it was holding in Albania back to Italy. Four claimed to be minors or ill. A court in Rome had ruled that the remaining 12 asylum seekers had the right to a trial in Italy.

Early November, the ring-wing administration made a second attempt, and transferred seven adults from Bangladesh and Egypt to a detention center in Albania. Days later, the government had to backtrack when a court in Rome ordered all seven be returned to Italy. A naval ship took them to the port of Brindisi in southern Italy.

Judges in Rome have now sought clarification on the issue from European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg.

At full capacity, Italy's government had hoped its facilities in Albania would be able to process up to 40,000 asylum applications a year. But not even two months into the launch of the project, it remains unclear whether the centers will ever be used.

"Now, the right move for Meloni's government would be to say, 'Okay, we tried, but it's just not possible'," said Christopher Hein, a professor of migration and........

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