The twelve men boarded a ship from the Italian coastguard on Saturday, which will take them to Brindisi in southern Italy, where the asylum process will continue.
The migrants arrived as late as Wednesday in Albania, along with four other migrants. These four were immediately returned to Italy, as they were considered "vulnerable".
On Friday, an Italian court ruled that the remaining twelve migrants, who come from Egypt and Bangladesh, would also be taken back. According to the verdict, the men do not meet the criteria for accommodation in Albania, as their home countries cannot be considered "safe" in their entirety.
The verdict is based on a recent ruling by the EU Court of Justice, which states that parts of countries outside the EU cannot be classified as safe unless the entire country is considered so.
The agreement between Italy and Albania, signed in November, states that migrants caught by Italian vessels within the country's search and rescue area will be taken to Albania. There, they will be held pending a decision on asylum – with the exception of those considered vulnerable under the law.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi has said that Friday's verdict will be appealed.
