ATHENS

The Italian Senate approved a controversial migrant deal with Albania, media reports said Thursday.

The Senate gave the green light in a 93-61 vote, said state-run ANSA news agency.

The agreement, signed by Premier Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, in Rome last November, includes the formation by Italy of reception centers in Albania for up to 3,000 migrants and refugees per month rescued by Italian ships in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

Since taking office in autumn 2022, the right-wing Meloni government has been reaching out to third countries in a bid to stem irregular migration by sea to Italy, which in 2023 rose around 50% during the previous year, the agency noted.​​​​​​​