UN warns Albania to observe foreign migrants’ rights

TIRANA, Dec. 13 – A United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged Albania to step up its efforts to protect the rights of its citizens living abroad as well as refugees arriving to the country who are vulnerable to exploitation.
“I encourage the Albanian authorities to develop and implement, in partnership with all sectors of society, a national human rights strategy that places the rights and well-being of everyone, including migrants, at the heart of all laws, policies and programmes,” said Special Reporter on the human rights of migrants, Fran谩s Cr걥au, in astatementissued in Tirana.
He said that due to the better living conditions in the tiny western Balkan country there could be an increase of incoming refugees. That could be considered as a good and bad news at the same time.
Good because it shows that Albania is slowly turning into a “European” country attracting others to come there in a sign of increasingly improved living conditions there.
But it is also bad because this country and its government still do not have the necessary capacities to take care of any increased number of immigrants.
Albania has been a transit country for Afghan or Kurd immigrants using it as an entryway to Western Europe. Their numbers have decreased significantly during the recent years.
Cr걥au emphasized that as Albania’s economy grows, the government will also have to prepare for an increase in foreign migrants, and ensure their rights are protected and they are not vulnerable to exploitation.
“There is urgent need to sensitize all sectors of society on the human rights of migrants and about the responsibility of the State to respect, protect, fulfill and promote their rights,” he said.
The UN expert also warned that Albania should better take care of its co-patriots living in other countries. An estimated one-third of Albania’s population lives outside its borders, with the largest number living in Greece and Italy, many of them without a regular status, making it essential for the Albanian consulate offices to have the capacity, resources and expertise to respond adequately to the needs and rights of Albanian migrants living and working abroad, the reporter noted.
Cr걥au also expressed concern about the situation of Albanians living abroad who face criminal proceedings or are deprived of their liberty, including children, as their legal defense is often poor, leading to unfair convictions and excessive sentences.
Cr걥au said the government should make it a priority to assist Albanian returnees, which have increased in recent years due to the economic crisis in neighboring countries coupled with the economic growth and poverty reduction in Albania.
Cr걥au also encouraged the European Union (EU) to strengthen the human rights component of its technical assistance to Albania to support its path towards European integration.