"This is the end of the idea of bringing the fight against illegal migration into line with Brussels' rules. We have two choices: rebellion or submission," Viktor Orban wrote on his social media, adding that
I'm with the rebels!
Viktor Orban was responding to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who sharply criticized the European Union after the EU's top court raised the threshold for member states to reject asylum seekers.
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU member states can only create national lists of safe non-EU countries if they fully substantiate and make public evidence and sources they use in reaching their conclusions, the Mandiner news portal highlighted.
Meloni called the court’s decision both surprising and a power grab by EU judges.
Once again, the judiciary – now at the EU level – is claiming powers that do not belong to it, at the expense of political responsibility,
she said.
The case was initiated by two Bangladeshi nationals who were rescued at sea and transferred to an Italian-run camp in Albania. They challenged the rejection of their asylum applications, arguing that Bangladesh is not safe — contrary to its inclusion on Italy’s list of safe countries of origin.
The court’s ruling on Friday directly affects Italy’s so-called Albania model. In 2023, Meloni signed an agreement with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to take in up to 30,000 migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean in camps located in Albania.
