Today: Jul 10, 2025

EC rejects Dutch request to suspend visa-free travel for Albanians

2 mins read
6 years ago
Change font size:

TIRANA, July 3 – The European Commission did not take into account the Dutch request to suspend Albania’s right to free movement to the Netherlands.  

The news was originally reported by Tirananews and was subsequently confirmed by EU Ambassador to Tirana Luigi Soreca.

On May 31, the Netherlands urged the European Commission to suspend the free movement of Albanians in the Schengen area. Its main argument was related to Albanians’ high criminality figures.

Robert de Groot, the Netherlands’ permanent representative to the European Union, submitted a request to the Euro Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitri Avramopoulos, however, the deadline for reviewing this request is one month and during this period there has been no announcement of possible developments over this request.

A Tirananews.al source reported that the EC decided not to consider the Dutch request. Tirananews quoted a spokesman from the EC saying the conditions to abolish the visa-free regime for Albania have not been met.  

“Following a careful assessment of the content of the notification received by the Netherlands and based on the available information and relevant data, the Commission considers that in the current situation the circumstances to promote the visa suspension mechanism are not met. The Commission will continue to closely monitor compliance with visa liberalization standards for Albania and other countries benefiting from visa-free travel.”

Following this report, the official confirmation came from Soreca, who in his Twitter profile reiterating parts of the quoted circulation in the media.

“It is now time, after this reconfiguration, for Albania to further the significant achievements it made in 2010 and move forward with renewed energy, given the important decision of the EU Council in October,” Soreca added.  

If the EC would approve the Dutch request, free movement for Albanians would be suspended for a period of nine months, a period in which the EC would require Albania to correct the controversial circumstances of the claimant.

 

Latest from News