The Biden Administration is holding secret talks with Tirana and Pristina in an effort to provide
shelter for civilians that have collaborated with US forces in Afghanistan. This information was
originally published by Reuters. The news agency quoted two American Diplomats as their
source. The Albanian and Kosovar governments have not as of yet confirmed that such talks
have taken place. The US Government is actively trying to convince other countries to shelter
the displaced civilians until their US Visas can be processed. Although these civilians would
theoretically stay in countries willing to shelter them for a limited amount of time, many are
hesitant to agree in light of possible national security repercussions and Covid-19 related
implications.
The American Diplomats quoted by Reuters have stated that thousands of at risk civilians will
likely be temporarily accommodated in countries such as Qatar, although there has been no
official confirmation of this. There have been similar talks with Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan, but they seem to have produced little to no results. Taliban forces have been
advancing rapidly and have, as of today, captured more than 80% of the territory of Afghanistan.
There have been reports that in some areas they have been allowed to enter freely, and have
been received amicably by the army. The speed of their advancement has baffled the Afghani
Government and the West, and the fall of Kabul seems to be only a matter of time.
Albania has a long history of taking large groups of displaced individuals at the request of the US
Government. Under Berisha’s premiership Uighur Muslims were sheltered in Albania. Moreover,
a camp in the Albanian countryside houses thousands of highly secretive Iranian Rebels. In a
report by the New York Times, this group called the People’s Jihadists are described as either
Iran’s government in waiting or a duplicitous terrorist cult that forbids sexual thoughts. It is
estimated that the US is looking to temporarily shelter up to 80,000 Afghani civilians in other
Countries. There are many concerns connected with their possible relocation to Albania.
These people could theoretically pose a national security concern, and it is unclear whether the
US government will later on grant each of them visas to relocate to the US. Sources quoted by
Reuters have stated that the US has offered economic and political concessions to Kosovo
should they agree to temporarily shelter a few thousand Afghans. It is undoubtedly the case that
similar concessions have been proposed to the Albanian Government. Sheltering thousands of
displaced Afghani citizens is a decision that should be taken after extensive consultations with
the Albanian people. The fact that such talks have not been made public means that the
Government does not think there would be any negative repercussions should it decide to take
in displaced afghani citizens. The fact that Albanian Governments have in the past been willing
and that they continue to consider taking in groups of foreigners in exchange for behind-the-
scene political and economic favors is not reflective of democratic rule.
