Italian Prime Minister Meloni announced Tuesday that he will set up an immigration center in Albania to send immigrants from Italy waiting to apply to pass the exam.

The number of migrants heading to Italy has nearly doubled in the past year, Reuters reported Tuesday. Melonia said the Albania immigration center, which will open in the spring of 2024, is expected to initially accommodate about 3,000 migrants, but expects the number to rise to 36,000 a year.

So far, Italy had 145,000 maritime migrants in 2023, mainly from Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire and Tunisia; compared with 88,000 in 2022.

Meloni's government has increased prison sentences for human smugglers and decided to increase the number of immigration agencies in the country to stay before waiting for applications. But meloni's far-right party, the Italian Brothers, has long believed that immigration agencies should be located outside the European Union, such as North Africa, but the two countries have not yet accepted Italy's proposal.

A source in Meloni's office said the plan, which aims to deter immigration and trafficking and was limited to refugees rescued by Italian coast guards or the navy, was excluded by charities or non-profit organizations (NGO).

Meloni said pregnant women and other vulnerable groups will not be sent to Albania. In addition, she also announced details of the plan funds, but the plan is currently in the preliminary stage, and specific measures to move large numbers of migrants have not yet been formulated.

Meloni said the detention centers would be under the jurisdiction of the Italian government. The Guardian noted that Italy's immigration policy was unprecedented and that it was legally uncertain, as the plan, if implemented, would mean that Albania would transfer some of its territory to Italy.