The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)’s August 1 ruling, relating to the safe country of origin concept, has dealt a heavy blow to Italy’s migration management policy whereby Rome has been processing asylum claims offshore, in detention camps in the Balkan state of Albania.

The Luxembourg court ruled that Italy, a founding member of the EU and a frontline state that has carried a disproportionate burden from millions of migrant inflows into the continent, was in breach of the 27-member bloc’s legal prohibition against the designation of countries as safe, unless the protection of human rights was guaranteed to the entirety of their population.

Underscoring the principle of non-refoulement, in a separate decision in October 2024, the........

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