Key facts
- The investigation into Italy's migrant centers in Albania won the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for journalism.
- The report highlighted human rights violations and questioned the legality of the centers.
- The centers, opened in 2024 and repurposed in March 2025, have become a model for European migration policy.
- Approximately €259 million was spent on the facilities over their first two years, detaining 256 people.
An investigation into human rights violations at migrant centers established by Italy in Albania has won the European Parliament’s Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for journalism. The report, published by Dutch outlet De Correspondent in January 2026, detailed concerns about the legality and effectiveness of the facilities in Shëngjin and Gjadër.
Opened in 2024 and repurposed in March 2025 by Giorgia Meloni's government, the centers were intended to detain irregular migrants already in Italy before deportation. The investigation highlighted violations of fundamental rights and European law, warning about the new EU policy on migration.
Authors Maite Vermeulen and Giacomo Zandonini estimate that approximately €259 million was spent on the centers over their first two years, detaining 256 people. Vermeulen described the approach as a "PR operation" rather than an effective policy, suggesting it could not be replicated by other EU countries without breaching human rights.