An investigation into the Italy-Albania migration agreement wins the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize

The winning report, by journalists Giacomo Zandonini from Italy, and Maite Vermeulen from the Netherlands, published on the Dutch journalism platform De Correspondent, focuses on an agreement under which Italy built a detention centre and an office for processing asylum applications on Albanian territory.

A representative of the independent European jury, comprising journalists from all EU Member States, presented the award at a ceremony held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and Pina Picierno, Vice-President responsible for the prize, took part in the event, which took place in the press room named after Daphne Caruana Galizia.

In the words of President Metsola: “Nine years after the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia for exposing corruption, our determination to see justice done remains unwavering. Those who sought to silence her have failed. Her stories have reached further than ever before, and her courage continues to be a source of inspiration. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize honours that courage and commitment to the truth. The European Parliament will continue to support journalists, defend press freedom and fight for justice. We will carry on.”

Between 4 May and 31 July 2026, journalists from the 27 EU countries submitted their entries for the prize. The jury shortlisted 10 of the 344 entries submitted, and the winner was chosen from among them.

About the winning story

Journalists Giacomo Zandonini and Maite Vermeulen spent 18 months investigating the migration agreement between Italy and Albania for De Correspondent. According to the information they uncovered, the aim of the agreement was to intercept migrants heading for Italy and take them to Albania, a non-EU country, where they were rejected through an accelerated asylum procedure and deported to their countries of origin.

Their report traces the origins of the agreement and analyses why several European Union countries regard it as an ‘innovative model’ for the future of European migration policy. To gain a complete picture of the situation, the journalists submitted more than thirty requests for access to information in six European countries, as well as to the European Commission, the European Council and the European border agency Frontex. They traced the flow of funds and interviewed centre staff, detained migrants, lawyers, MPs, government representatives and local residents in Albania.

The authors highlighted the considerable obstacles they faced throughout the investigation. Among these, they were denied access to the centres run by Italy in Albania, and even basic information (such as the number of people detained) was not made public. Funding for the facilities was channelled through emergency procedures, bypassing public procurement processes, and staff were required to sign confidentiality agreements.

In collaboration with photo editor Bebe Blanco Agterberg, information designer Sharon Coone and photographer Francesco Bellina, the journalists analyse the human rights issues raised by the agreement and its implications for the fundamental principles of the European rule of law.

The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism

The award pays tribute to the Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was murdered in October 2017. Each year, it recognises high-quality journalism that promotes or defends the fundamental principles and values of the European Union, such as dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights.

It is open to professional journalists and teams of professional journalists, of any nationality, who have produced in-depth reports published or broadcast by media organisations based in any of the 27 EU Member States.

The prize itself, and its prize money of 20,000 euros, demonstrate the European Parliament’s commitment to investigative journalism and the protection of journalists worldwide.

Previous winners

• 2025: Investigation into the hidden financial networks enabling Russia to circumvent sanctions on its oil trade (coordinated by Follow the Money)
• 2024: Investigation into missing unaccompanied migrant children (Lost in Europe)
• 2023: Joint investigation into the sinking of a migrant boat near Pylos (Solomon, in collaboration with Forensis, StrgF/ARD and The Guardian)
• 2022: Documentary on Russian influence in the Central African Republic, by Clément Di Roma and Carol Valade (ARTE/France24/Le Monde)
• 2021: ‘The Pegasus Project’ (coordinated by Forbidden Stories)

Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia?

Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist. She reported extensively on corruption, money laundering, organised crime, the sale of citizenship and the Maltese government’s links to the Panama Papers. After suffering harassment and threats, she was killed in a car bomb attack on 16 October 2017. Protests over the authorities’ handling of the investigation into her murder led to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Critical of the shortcomings in the investigation, the European Parliament urged the European Commission in December 2019 to take action and has since frequently revisited the issue, notably through a resolution adopted in 2023 condemning the lack of progress made in bringing those responsible to justice. To date, five people have been jailed for carrying out the murder, but the mastermind has not yet been convicted.