ROME  -  Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday brushed aside criticism of a controversial deal to send migrants for processing in Albania, a European first which other European leaders are watching closely. Italy on Monday began transferring the first migrants to the centres -- 16 men from Egypt and Bangladesh -- who are due to arrive Wednesday.

“It is a new, courageous, unprecedented path, but one that perfectly reflects the European spirit and has everything it takes to be followed also with other non-EU nations,” Meloni said. The scheme comes ahead of a European Union summit in Brussels this week, where migration is on the table.  In a letter to member states ahead of the talks, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would “be able to draw lessons from this (Albania) experience in practice”.

Italy’s two processing centres in Albania will be operated under Italian law, with Italian security and staff, and judges hearing cases by video from Rome.

But human rights groups question whether there will be enough protection for asylum seekers.

“The first people to arrive in Italy’s new detention centres deserve better than to be subject to this dangerous political experiment,” said Susanna Zanfrini, Italy director for the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organisation.

“Even as the doors open on these new facilities, some huge questions remain unanswered about how Italy will ensure that people’s rights are safeguarded outside of the EU’s jurisdiction.”