European Nations' Asylum Paradox in Perspective: Exploring Italy-Albania’s Refugees Pact Asylum Processing under the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1967 Protocol

This study explores Italy-Albania’s refugees pact asylum processing to create awareness about humanitarian issues, the 1951 Convention’s contravention, and to expose Italy's (Europeans') asylum paradox. Asylum successful applicants get access to Italy, whereas unsuccessful applicants are repatriated. This study is significant because of the open arms Europeans received Ukrainian refugees, whereas Syrian and Afghan refugees were neglected. The paper adopts Building an infrastructure of Dissent, and Civil Solidarity as a Transformative Practice, exploring Italy-Albania’s pact. The study adopts a literature review, otherwise known as a ‘meta study’. The study identifies that Europeans, through civil solidarity, signed the Convention, protected European descent refugees. However, the 1967 Protocol results in refugees floodgate’. Most refugees are non-Europeans. Regarding priorities shift from humanitarian issues to infrastructural development. This explains the European asylum paradox. Far-right ideologies deemed nations safe in the absence of war. Conflicts and cultural practices tantamount to persecution are ignored in asylum seeking. Modern migration consists of a mixed bag is frowned upon in processing asylum. Only push and pull factors are considered. Some nations are deemed ‘safe’. Applications from such nations are ignored. Unsuccessful applicants are repatriated, which violates human rights and contravenes the 1951 Convention. This study argues that, unlike in the 1950s, when humanitarian and civil solidarity concerned Contracting States, nowadays, nations prioritize infrastructure over human rights. Far-right ideologies ‘fan’ Italy-Albania’s pact violates human rights and contravenes the Convention. The paper recommends the Convention’s re-examination to be abreast with time, since Contracting States nowadays value infrastructure over civil solidarity.