An Italian navy ship docked at the Albanian port of Shengjin to bring the first group of 16 migrants intercepted in international waters.

The first migrants sent by Rome to Albania under a controversial deal that is being closely watched in Europe arrived Wednesday, though just hours later four of them had to be sent to Italy.

An Italian navy ship docked in Albania on Wednesday morning, media reports said, carrying the first group of migrants whose asylum requests are to be processed at new reception centres outside the European Union.