The small Balkan country of Albania could become the main destination for asylum seekers in Europe. This is an extremely convenient solution, both for the EU and for Angela Merkel. It is possible that in the near future Albania will become the main destination for refugees in Europe.
European Council President Donald Tusk and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurtz have proposed the establishment of reception centers for asylum seekers, both in the EU and in third countries. The representative of the Austrian government, Peter Launsky-Tiffenthal, confirmed in an interview with DW that negotiations are currently underway to establish such a center, including with Tirana.
In turn, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Albania, Andrew Fugue, said in an interview with DW that the country’s authorities did not receive such a proposal. The opposition, however, argues the opposite. Non-government parties even accuse the Albanian leadership of trying to bargain for EU membership in exchange for agreeing to become the main transit country for refugees to Europe.
What Albania liked the EU as a refugee accommodation center
Refugees used to arrive in the EU mainly through the Adriatic Sea, but Italy, Malta and Greece have long been unable to accept migrants in droves. In addition, the EU and Germany intend to expel foreigners who are denied asylum.
Meanwhile, Albania may well become an alternative solution to the problem — primarily because of its geographical location. A small West Balkan country is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, where the majority of migrants arriving in Europe by sea. The local port of Durres has the potential to accept more refugees.
Migrants who reached the shore in boats accompanied by the ships of the European border service Frontex would then have to register on Albanian territory. If there were no apparent reasons why a foreigner could apply for refugee status, he would immediately be sent back to the country of origin. In turn, migrants with a chance of asylum would be distributed among EU countries.
From the point of view of Brussels, Albania has another advantage: it is not yet a member of the European Union. This means that, for example, the Schengen and Dublin agreements do not apply to it. At the same time, Albania is a member of NATO, here is the anti-terrorism center of the alliance. In addition, in the northern part of the country there is a highland massif — a natural barrier to the further movement of refugees.
Is Albania ready to become a refugee reception center?
Albania has extensive experience in accommodating and maintaining refugees. In 1998-99, during the armed conflict in Kosovo, Albania received more than a million Kosovars. And in the midst of the migration crisis in 2015, the Albanian authorities thoroughly prepared for the influx of refugees. However, the new centers for the reception of migrants have not yet been practically used: according to Albanian media, only a few thousand people are accommodated in them.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed that since 2017, Albania has doubled its capacity to accept asylum seekers. In addition, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Republic Fatmir Jafay is currently holding a series of bilateral meetings with his European colleagues, during which the topic of migration is also discussed.
Unlike Libya, through which the refugee route to the EU also runs, Albania is a safe country located on the European continent and directly bordering the European Union. In addition, Tirana seeks to join the EU and pledges to comply with its standards, for example in the protection of human rights. According to UNHCR, refugees in the country live in good conditions. At the same time, Libya does not comply with any of these points. At the same time, the EU does not have the opportunity to dictate its conditions in Tripoli: Libya is a state in which there is no single leadership that controls the entire territory of the country.
Deal with Albania — on Merkel’s hand
German Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer, during his last meeting with the Austrian Chancellor, said he supported the idea of creating refugee accommodation centers in non-EU countries. Spokesman for the German government Steffen Seibert declined to comment on this subject: he suggests waiting for the outcome of the EU extraordinary summit on migration to be held June 24 in Brussels. However, a potential deal with Albania would help smooth out the conflict between Horst Seehofer and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The dispute between the leaders of two of the three parties of the ruling coalition has flared up because the minister intends to close the German borders for refugees without documents or already registered in some other EU country. Merkel believes that such a measure is contrary to European asylum standards and German law, and is also unfair to countries such as Greece and Italy.
On the one hand, the “Albanian option” would be a humane solution, and on the other, it would meet Seehofer’s requirements to ensure security in Europe: Brussels would be able to control the process of placing refugees in a country that would not be a member of the EU.
Horst Seehofer would have been pleased: during the election campaign in the Bavarian Landtag, he could have presented the deal as his victory. Thus, the government crisis in Germany would be virtually overcome.
«Albanian version»: both the wolves are fed and the sheep are intact
At the same time, the “Albanian version” of solving the refugee problem could serve Tirana well. European conservatives, especially the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), are putting pressure on the Albanian government, formed by the Socialist Party.
It was originally planned that at a summit in Brussels on June 28, EU members will decide on the start of negotiations on Albania’s accession to the EU. However, whether this will happen is still unknown: the main obstacle for Tirana may be an imperfect justice system and a high level of corruption.
However, Albania can achieve the favor of Brussels through a refugee deal. In this situation, the EU countries would gladly thank the Balkan country. Thus, the «Albanian version» would suit everyone — and Brussels, and Albania, and Horst Seehofer with Angela Merkel.
