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.

The specific case that led to the ECJ's opinion involved two Bangladeshi nationals who were rescued at sea by Italian authorities and taken to Italy's detention centre in Albania, where their asylum claims were rejected based on Italy's classification of Bangladesh as a "safe" country.

Judges at the EU’s top court have ruled Italy can fast deportations to countries designated as “safe,” but with limits