The Italian navy vessel arrived after a 36-hour voyage carrying 16 men from Bangladesh and Egypt.

They will be settled in prefabricated housing while their asylum requests are processed.

Italy's two processing centres in Albania, surrounded by high walls and security cameras, are at Camp Gjader, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the port.

They will be operated under Italian law, with Italian security and staff, and judges hearing cases by video from Rome.

If an applicant's asylum request is refused, cells have been set up on site.

Human rights groups have questioned whether there will be enough protection for asylum seekers. But Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday brushed aside criticism.

"It is a new, courageous, unprecedented path, but one that perfectly reflects the European spirit and has everything it takes to be followed also with other non-EU nations," she said.

The arrangement between the two countries is a European first, which other leaders in the region are watching closely.