Has Montenegro agreed to build migrant centers?

No. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić stated that there have been no negotiations and that the response to any official initiative will be negative.

Who proposed building centers in Montenegro?

According to Italian agency ANSA, it is a plan by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, which is to be presented at the European Union level.

What prompted this EU initiative?

The trigger was the dramatic situation in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, where around 50,000 migrants entered, with dozens of deaths.

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Spajić firmly rejects migrant centers

Q: Which other countries are on the list for building centers?

In addition to Montenegro, the preliminary list includes Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Ethiopia.

B.C. · Prije 3h | 2 min

Montenegrin PM reacts after Italian agency ANSA reported that Montenegro was on a preliminary list of countries for building reception centers funded by the European Union.

Summary

Montenegrin PM Milojko Spajić rejected the possibility of building migrant reception centers in Montenegro.
Italian agency ANSA reported that Montenegro is on the EU's preliminary list for expanding the 'Albanian model'.
Spajić says there have been no talks and any initiative will be rejected.
The plan is based on the emergency situation in Ceuta, where around 50,000 migrants entered.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajić on Tuesday firmly dismissed the possibility of building centers for hosting illegal migrants on his country's territory. He reacted after media in Podgorica reported on the Italian agency ANSA's story about a preliminary list of countries where the EU could establish such facilities.

Spajić said on social media platform X that Montenegro has not held any talks on the matter. "Montenegro has not held negotiations on establishing such centers on its territory, nor has the government received an official initiative to open them. When such an initiative is on the table, our response will be negative," the PM wrote.

'Albanian model' expands to a dozen countries

According to ANSA, citing diplomatic sources, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi is expected to present the plan to his EU counterparts at an extraordinary meeting. The key novelty is that, unlike the existing agreement between Rome and Tirana, the new centers would be funded directly from European funds and the Union's joint budget.

In addition to Montenegro, the list of potential locations for migrant accommodation and document processing includes Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Rwanda, Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Ethiopia.

Ceuta as the trigger

The reason for the urgent reaction and accelerated planning was the dramatic situation in the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta, where around 50,000 migrants entered. Dozens of people died in that wave.

Despite the rejection, Spajić emphasized that his country remains a reliable partner of the European Union. "However, any decision concerning our state will be made responsibly, transparently, and solely in line with the interests of Montenegro's citizens," the Montenegrin PM said.