TIRANA, Dec. 9 – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during the International Day against Corruption that his country will continue to reject entry to corrupt officials in an effort to combat the phenomenon worldwide.
Corruption, the US top diplomat said, empowers and supports autocratic leaders, weakens confidence in democratic systems, and creates opportunities for third-party actors to exploit US partner countries.
Pompeo announced that during 2019, due to involvement in major corruption, about 40 foreign officials and their family members were included by the State Department on the list of those barred from entering the United States together with their families while Washington, he said, will continue this practice.
There are three former officials and their families from Albania in the list, bringing to 14 the total number of individuals barred from entering the United States.
The last official from Albania included in this list was the former Mayor of Durres Vangjush Dako. The same measure was previously taken for former Attorney General Adriatik Llalla and former Socialist MP Tom Doshi.
Under US law, when the Secretary of State has credible information that a foreign official is involved in major corruption cases, or violations of human rights, he and his immediate family is prohibited from entering the United States.
Unlike visa laws, where in the event of refusal the decision remains confidential, the law that designates foreign officials as ineligible to enter the United States is not confidential and may be made public.
The law dates back to 2008, when Congress sought to identify and declare ineligible to enter the US foreign officials involved in corrupt affairs to exploit their country’s natural resources.
In 2012, Congress expanded the scope of the ban, including the term “major corruption cases,” and clarified that disclosure to relevant individuals could be made public or kept private.
From 2017 to date there are around 170 officials and former Albanian officials who have been refused their visas by the US Embassy to Tirana.
Their names have not been made public.
