{"id":172169,"date":"2026-10-26T09:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=172169"},"modified":"2026-10-26T09:37:01","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T08:37:01","slug":"una-investigacion-sobre-el-acuerdo-de-migracion-italia-albania-gana-el-premio-daphne-caruana-galizia-de-periodismo-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/una-investigacion-sobre-el-acuerdo-de-migracion-italia-albania-gana-el-premio-daphne-caruana-galizia-de-periodismo-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"An investigation into the Italy-Albania migration agreement wins the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An investigation into the migration agreement between Italy and Albania was awarded the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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

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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.<\/p>\n

In the words of President Metsola: \u201cNine 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

About the winning story<\/strong><\/p>\n

Journalists Giacomo Zandonini and Maite Vermeulen spent 18 months investigating the migration agreement between Italy and Albania for De Correspondent<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n

Their report traces the origins of the agreement and analyses why several European Union countries regard it as an \u2018innovative model\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The prize itself, and its prize money of 20,000 euros, demonstrate the European Parliament\u2019s commitment to investigative journalism and the protection of journalists worldwide.<\/p>\n

Previous winners<\/strong><\/p>\n