Italy's government pledged on Monday to push ahead with a contested plan to detain asylum seekers in centres built in Albania and said it would work with allies on "innovative" ideas to curb flows of irregular migrants into Europe.

Rightist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni struck a deal with her counterpart Edi Rama last year to divert to the Balkan country some of the migrants Italy picked up at sea, saying the scheme would act as a deterrent against departures from Africa.