ROME: The European Union's top court on Friday backed Italian judges who questioned a list of "safe countries" drawn up by Rome to deport migrants to detention centres in Albania.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has criticized Friday's European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on the classification of safe countries of origin. She said the decision further restricted the already limited room for manoeuvre of governments.

A ruling by the EU's top court has dealt a further blow to Italy's attempts to create a fast-track system in Albania for processing asylum applications offshore.