TIRANA, March 17 – With the migrant crisis becoming a hot topic even in Albania after the closure of the Balkan route through Macedonia, Italy is assisting Albanian authorities with vehicles and policemen to prevent a possible flow through a new route from Greece to Albania and Italy via the Adriatic Sea.
“Italy is providing vehicles and a limited number of policemen to reinforce borders,” Italian Ambassador to Albania Alberto Cutillo said at a foreign policy forum organized by the Albanian Institute for International Studies this week.
“We appreciate that the Albanian authorities are taking measures. Should Albania face a migrant crisis there will be more EU support than Italian support,” said Cutillo.
The Italian ambassador made the comments at a forum discussing the state of affairs in Europe and the potential implication on the EU and EU enlargement. The migrant and economic crisis the EU has been facing, terrorism and a potential exit of the UK from the block after a referendum scheduled for next June were some of the challenges the ambassador highlighted.
Albert Rakipi, the executive director of the AIIS think tank, described the migrant crisis as a challenge for security and Albania’s EU integration.
“The refuge crisis represents the biggest challenge for EU integration and enlargement. EU integration has been a driving force for Albania’s state building in the past 25 years but the crisis could undermine enlargement,” said Rakipi.
Neighboring Italy and Greece have been facing some of the largest flows of migrants fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria or Iraq. The situation has especially aggravated in Greece after Macedonia sealed its borders, raising fears migrants stuck in Greece will cross through Albania to Italy to reach the northern European destinations.
Some 20 Italian frontier police will be deployed in Albania from March 15 to reinforce the country’s borders as Italy is cooperating with Albania to manage an eventual flow to the Italian coast via the Adriatic following the closure of the “Balkan route,” Italian state-run Ansa news agency reports.
Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Thursday there is no evidence yet migrants are trying to reach Italy via Albania. “However we must not relax entirely, because we must keep a possible evolution along that route – and the risks that could stem from it – under observation,” Alfano told reporters ahead of a pre-summit meeting of European People’s Party (EPP) leaders. “This is why we are working with Albania,” he added.
Hundreds of migrants stuck in Greece have come close to the Albanian border hoping the authorities will allow them to cross, but no entry has been reported to date.
Albanian authorities have said they will not impose physical barriers to migrants, but warned they lack capacities and resources to cope with a possible influx of migrants.
Preparations underway
Border officials say Albania has identified three sites in the southern Albanian district of Gjirokastra close to the border with Greece where Syrian migrants could be accommodated.
“An inter-ministerial group has identified three sites in the district of Gjirokastra. No camps have been set up yet. The identified sites are in the villages of Gerhot, Arshi Lengo and there will be an initial reception migrant center close to the border in case there is an influx,” says Genc Merepeza, the Border and Migration director at the Albanian Police.
“The sites have been identified and when the bell rings the tents are ready to be set up within the day,” he added.
Some 111 Syrian migrants are reported to have filed asylum requests in Albania in 2015.
The Border and Migration department says some 15 scanners are also being installed to take fingerprints of Syrian migrants that could cross through Albania.
