THE programme of Italy’s far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni to screen asylum seekers outside of European Union borders in Albania hit another snag when a court in Rome refused to rule on a formal request to detain seven migrants transferred to the Balkan nation last week.

Monday’s decision meant seven migrants from Bangladesh and Egypt were returned to Italy overnight by naval ship, just days after their arrival in Albania.

Albanian media showed images of a minibus accompanied by Italian police vehicles entering the Albanian port of Shengjin, where the migrants were seen boarding a small ship. Italian media reported the ship docked in Brindisi, the Italian port across the Adriatic, a few hours later.