TIRANA, Aug. 2, 2022 – Albanian and Italian officials have concluded talks on technical details of a social insurance agreement that would lead to recognition of contributions made in both countries for old age pensions, Albania’s prime minister announced this week.
While the signing and approval of the deal still remain, when it goes into effect, it will be a major win for hundreds of thousands Albanians who have worked in both countries as their contributions will no longer be split.
The deal will allow Albanians who have worked in Italy to escape the fiscal and legal limbo they found themselves in because they couldn’t reach the 20-year minimum limit of Italian law to receive an old age pension.
“A long and arduous effort will make it possible for 500,000 Albanians to benefit,” Prime Minister Edi Rama said in a statement.
Italy’s ambassador to Tirana, Fabrizio Bucci, told local media the issue is likely to be resolved before the end of 2022.
Albania has concluded similar agreements with several countries where there are sizable populations of Albanian migrants, including one with Canada, which came into full effect on Aug. 1, 2022.
Minister of Economy and Finance Delina Ibrahimaj said up to 40,000 Albanians who have worked in Canada are expected to benefit from the agreement.
Ratified in 2019, the deal recognizes and merges years of work in both countries for social insurance purposes.
