Journalists Win Prize for Italy-Albania Migration Report
Giacomo Zandonini and Maite Vermeulen received the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Immigration
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Journalists Giacomo Zandonini and Maite Vermeulen have been awarded the 2026 Daphne Caruana Galizia Journalism Prize for their investigation into migration agreements between Italy and Albania. The award ceremony was held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Why it matters
The prize honors work that defends European Union values, highlighting how the investigation uncovered details about asylum processing centers operating through emergency procedures.
The award includes €20,000 in prize money for the winning investigation. The project required over 30 Freedom of Information requests across six European countries.
The players
Giacomo Zandonini
He is an investigative journalist who co-authored the report on the Italy-Albania migration deal.
Maite Vermeulen
She is an investigative journalist who shared the 2026 award for her work on migration policies.
Daphne Caruana Galizia
She was a Maltese journalist whose investigative work and 2017 assassination inspired the creation of the EU-wide journalism prize.
The details
The winning investigation analyzed how the Italian government established asylum processing centers on Albanian soil. Reporters found that staff at these facilities signed non-disclosure agreements and that state expenditures were routed through emergency channels to avoid standard procurement processes.
Timeline
October 2017: Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated.
May 4 to July 31, 2026: Journalists submitted entries for consideration.
October 21, 2026: The winners of the journalism prize were announced.
Political Context
The award serves as an institutional mechanism to protect press freedom, directly responding to the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Critics of such migration deals often argue that outsourcing asylum processing undermines judicial oversight and transparency within the European Union.
Citizens may see increased scrutiny regarding how public funds are utilized for cross-border migration detention facilities. This reporting highlights the legislative challenges in maintaining transparent procurement processes during rapid policy implementation.
The takeaway
Investigative journalism plays a critical role in bringing transparency to government emergency procedures and international agreements. Readers can observe how formal recognition of such work helps elevate public debate surrounding migration policy and human rights.
Further reading
For broader context on current border and migration policy debates, see our Immigration section.
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