Albania keeping a close eye on EU visa rules

TIRANA, Dec. 19 – A year since the country joined the other neighboring ones with the visa liberalization it is trying hard to keep under control all it has to respect the European rules of the Schengen area member countries.
There was a loud cry from Europe that Albania and the other mainly Balkan countries had a level of asylum requests. That was for Albania in October, after which the Albanian authorities took some steps like starting legal suits against some people who were allegedly abusing their posts in the local authorities or the NGOs who had provided people with fake documentation showing they suffered from blood feud cases.
Interior Minister Bujar Nishani on Monday told lawmakers they were closely monitoring the issue and that there were now few applications for asylum from Albanians in the EU.
“Fake documents on blood feud threats, conning Albanian citizens to seek asylum in the EU states, are abusive,” Nishani said, adding that a Task Force group has been set up by the Ministry to investigate. The Minister informed lawmakers that penal lawsuits will be filed against local authorities across the country if it was found they have provided such fake documents.
Meanwhile another important step was taken in the region.
Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro signed agreements that their citizens may use only the identity cards to travel back and forth between each other.
The deal was signed last week in Tirana by Albanian Foreign Minister Edmond Haxhinasto and his counterparts. The allowed period of stay in each respective country is limited to 90 days and for longer stay residence permits must be arranged. The signed agreement will come into force once the parliaments of each country have ratified it.