Thousands of migrants return home

TIRANA, August 2 – Dozens of thousands of immigrants returned home from Greece to spend their summer holidays this week causing long lines at the Kakvija and Kapshtica border crossing points.
Local media said the situation was a result of fewer check-in-desks by the Greek authorities. An average of 5,000 people and 1,500 cars a day entered Albania through the Kakavija border point while the influx is expected to reach its peak this weekend.
The situation has been the same in Durres Port, the country’s biggest, where thousands of immigrants a day are arriving from Italy.
Albania has some 600,000 immigrants in Greece and another 400,000 in Italy.
The arrival of immigrants has also caused long lines of citizens in front of civil status offices with hundreds waiting to apply for the new biometric passports. The offices have been closed during weekends despite promises to keep them open during this month.