Albania warned of illegal immigrants to Europe

TIRANA, Oct. 17 – Some western European countries, including Germany called last weekend for the suspension of visa-free travel for Serbs and Macedonians to the European Union following a surge in asylum applications from citizens of the two Balkan countries.
Albania too was also warned though there was a significantly smaller number making the asylum request.
About a third of the applications for political asylum in Germany in last month were Serbs and Macedonians. Both their countries are candidates to join the European Union and are thus required to uphold its values and freedoms.
Illegal immigration and asylum are sensitive issues in western European countries like Germany, Belgium or France, especially ahead of elections in those countries.
They called on the Balkan countries’ citizens not to abuse with the asylum rules as that would likely strain their help to the truly needy and persecuted persons.
Visitors from Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro won the right to visa-free travel in the European Union’s border-free Schengen zone in 2009. Citizens of Bosnia and Albania followed suit in 2010.
Late last year the European Union agreed new rules to make it easier to restore visa requirements, to counter fears of a sudden influx of migrants from the western Balkans. Those rules are still to be approved from the bloc’s Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
That means they may decide for a temporary suspension of visa-free arrangements for countries whose citizens are deemed to be abusing the system.
The Albanian authorities have done a good job in the public awareness for their citizens. They continually repeat to them that abusing with the free visa regime could bring back that regime and all the population could suffer for a few mistakes made by a small number.