The first group of migrants has arrived at accommodation centers built by Italy in Albania.
Italy has been struggling with an influx of migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa and elsewhere.
The International Organization for Migration says about 150,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2023.
The administration of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has prioritized illegal entry issues. It reached an agreement with the Albanian government last year to build accommodation centers in Albania, across the Adriatic Sea. The centers opened on Wednesday.
The Italian government says it will shoulder all operational costs for the two facilities, one for processing asylum applications and other procedures, and the other for temporary accommodation.
The centers can take in up to 3,000 people, but children, pregnant women and other vulnerable individuals will be excluded.
Meloni said she believes that building such facilities outside the European Union will deter people illegally trying to reach EU member states. She also expressed hope that they will become a model for other EU nations dealing with illegal migration.
Human rights groups have raised concerns that the rights of migrants are not being sufficiently guaranteed.