According to the reports, among the 44 migrants taken to the Gjader processing centre, another person with vulnerabilities has been identified and was taken to the medical clinic.

The migrant is now scheduled to be transferred to Italy.

Five of the migrants, who arrived Tuesday at the Shengjin hotspot, were then taken to Brindisi; four because they were found to be minors and one vulnerable adult.

The conditions of the asylum seekers are being independently monitored by UNHCR experts as well as the doctors of the Usmaf special unit from the Ministry of Health.

An Italian Navy ship picked up the 49 migrants and took them to Albania under the scheme that had so far been stymied by the courts.

Over the same time span, over 1700 migrants reached Italian shores.

When up to speed, the Albanian centres are set to process around 3000 migrants a month.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has hailed the accord as a possible model for other countries, and there have been several expressions of interest.

Meanwhile, a sudden spike in migrant landings in Italy recorded in recent weeks is thought to be linked to a power vacuum that has developed on part of the western Libyan area of Tripolitania.

Militias that have taken control of some ports thought they could quickly make huge profits by making many boats leave in just a few days, an Italian government immigration summit at Palazzo Chigi said Wednesday.

The situation now seems more stable, thanks also to the sea conditions that are less favourable to departures, officials said, as well as in light of intelligence information.

The government, sources said, is aiming to start discussions with Bangladesh and Pakistan, the countries of origin of the largest number of migrants this year, to slow departures.

ANSA