Britain is said to have been snubbed by Albania when its attempt to sign an offshore migrant agreement was mooted - but just months later the Balkan country signed a similar deal with Italy.
Government ministers had attempted to agree a migrant pact with Albania, under which the country would accept channel migrants from the UK and process their asylum applications.
But the idea is set to have been put on ice after the British embassy in Tirana advised the Government that the idea was a "red line" for the Albanians.
But just months later, the Government was "blindsided" after Italy announced its own deal with Albania.
Britain is said to have been snubbed by Albania when its attempt to sign an offshore migrant agreement was mooted
PA
A source told the Telegraph: "The Foreign Office was surprised when it happened, albeit Italy has an exceptional relationship with Albania for historic reasons".
Another Government source said Italy had “gazumped” the UK with the plans.
They said: "It was a real snub and set back alternative plans, because talks with other countries had been put on the back burner."
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni struck a deal with Albania to house 36,000 migrants last month.
Albania will build two migrant reception centres, set to open in spring 2024, as part of the deal with Italy.
Speaking alongside her Romanian counterpart Edi Rama in a press conference in Rome, Meloni said: "They will stay in these centres for the time necessary to quickly process asylum applications and, if necessary, for repatriation".
She warned that "mass illegal immigration is a phenomenon no EU member state can handle alone".
The Italian politician added: "I consider this as a truly European agreement, and I want to say that it shows that it is possible to work together on the management of migratory flows."
Meloni, who is the leader of the right-wing Brothers of Italy party, pledged to curb migration when she took office last year.
She has always taken a harsh line on migrants, before coming to office warning that Italy should "repatriate migrants back to their countries and then sink the boats that rescued them."
But Italy has seen more than 145,000 people arrive in Italy by sea so far in 2023.
Earlier this year, Meloni demanded the EU help to provide a naval blockade to stop migrant crossings in the Mediterranean.
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The centres, which will be funded and overseen by Italy, would house 36,00 people per year.
Children, pregnant women and other people classed as "vulnerable" won’t be sent to the centres, Meloni confirmed.
They will instead have their asylum applications processed in Italy.
Albania’s prime minister threw his weight behind the agreement, describing Italy’s location in the Mediterranean Sea as a "curse."
