All News on Social Issues in Albania
The tug of war over Beleri
As anticipated, the recent meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Vilnius did not yield any significant progress regarding the case of ethnic Greek mayor-elect Fredi Beleri in Himare, southern Albania.
Albania Ruling Party Postpones Controversial Lustration Legislation
Sigurimi files in an exhibition in Tirana. Photo: LSA.
MPs from the governing Socialist Party on Monday decided to postpone approval of changes in two laws intended to ban people from running for parliament who collaborated with the Communist-era Sigurimi secret service after an intervention by the EU's ambassador to Tirana.
Waiting Game: Afghan Refugees Stuck in Albania Long for America
Afghan refugees who came to Albania in 2021, expecting to move quickly on to the US, are finding their prolonged stay in the Balkan country frustrating.
Ethnic Greek mayor unable to attend swearing-in ceremony in Himare
The swearing-in ceremony for the elected mayor of Himare in Albania, Fredi Beleri, is scheduled for Tuesday but cannot take place while he still remains in custody.
According to Albanian legislation a deputy mayor, appointed by a council of ministers controlled by the ruling Socialist Party, will have to take office.
In Montenegro, Memories of Pain and Generosity on the Refugee Road
Dejan, then 20, had been nearing the end of his military service in Kosovo, then a southern province of Serbia, when NATO launched air strikes to halt a brutal Serbian counter-insurgency war. At the time, Serbia and Montenegro were all that was left of Yugoslavia, still joined together after the other four republics - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia - had seceded.
Albania Mayor Resigns Over Sex Tape Scandal
The Mayor of Kukes, Safet Gjici, has resigned following publication of a tape showing him having sex in his office.
Albania's prosecution SPAK told BIRN that it had started a criminal proceeding about the case though it is not clear what the exact charges might be. Most likely he might face charges of "abuse of duty".
UK Rights Activists Condemn Push to Classify Albania as ‘Safe’
Border Force and the military escort migrants ashore at Dover after they crossed the English Channel in Dover, Britain, 27 August 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE/STUART BROCK
"Designating a state as a 'safe country' necessitates the confirmation that 'there is … no serious risk of persecution of nationals of that State'. Unfortunately, Albania does not meet this criterion," the letter reads.
The hysteria over Thrace
In Greece, where we are proud of the Rum in Istanbul and the ethnic Greeks of Himare in southern Albania, we freak out when we hear about a Turkish minority in Thrace. So much so that various politicians - usually from the right - are setting dangerous precedents for the country.
Ex-MP of Ruling Party to Lead Albania’s Public Broadcaster
New General Director of Albania Public Broadcasting Service Alfred Peza is seen in this photo of 16 November 2019 while speaking to the media from the Socialist Party headquarters on his capacity as SP Director of Communication. Photo: LSA
UK Parliament Deems Most Albanian Asylum Requests Unfounded
UK Parliament Home Affairs Committee at a hearing. Print Screen from UK Parliament livestream.
The investigation report [Link], said that some of those seeking asylum are indeed in danger of being trafficked but most seem attracted to the UK by higher standards of livings there compared to Albania.
Inquiries of an Albanian diplomat
Kathimerini, being a prestigious newspaper, deserves praise for consistently bringing attention to the issue of Albania's treatment of its ethnic Greek minority, who primarily live in the south of the Balkan country. Here, however, I will switch roles. I will step into the position of an Albanian official in Tirana, responsible for monitoring developments in Greece.
Athens decries continued detention of Himare mayor-elect
The continued pretrial detention of ethnic Greek mayor-elect Fredi Beleri by the Albanian authorities is not consistent with the rule of law, the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Passion for Sea Lives on Among Descendants of Emigrants from Montenegro
At the start of the 20th century, dozens of families from Ulcinj in Montenegro emigrated to Durres, where their seafaring traditions helped develop Albania's commercial fleets.
Athens decries extension of Himare mayor’s detention
The extension of the detention of Fredi Beleri, the recently elected ethnic Greece mayor of Himare in Albania, "is contrary to the common sense of justice and the European concept of the rule of law," the Greek Foreign Ministry underlined in a statement on Monday.
Dendias, Albanian counterpart discuss the jailing of ethnic Greek mayor
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias discussed on Monday the jailing of an elected ethnic Greek mayor with his Albanian counterpart Olta Xhacka, during a meeting in Brussels, the foreign ministry said.