Over 10 thousand refugees have entered Albania during 2021 / Only 1% of them have access to asylum procedures

The acting head of the UNCHR in Tirana, Kristina Folkelius, told VOA that only 1% of those who claim to come from countries in conflict have access to asylum. VOA correspondent in Tirana, Mimoza Picari also spoke with some Afghan citizens, temporarily stationed in Albania for more than 9 months. They expressed that they are unclear and uncertain about the fate of their future.

In Albania, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees states that about 10 thousand refugees, or about 18 times more than 5 years ago, entered the Albanian territory last year, among them 11% women and children. About 80% said they came from major refugee sources, such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. Albanian authorities, in cooperation with the US government and several non-governmental organizations, sheltered in Albania in the fall of 2021, about 2400 Afghan citizens who were displaced from their country, after the withdrawal of US forces and the takeover of power by the Taliban.

They temporarily settled in some residential areas. Today, after 9 months, about 70% of them have left for the USA, Canada and some other countries, as reported by the Albanian authorities, while the rest are still located in the Shengjin area in the northwest of the country. Some of them, who asked to remain anonymous because relatives in Afghanistan feel threatened by the Taliban, told VOA they are worried and uncertain about the future.

“Eight months ago we were evacuated from Afghanistan here, but they did not tell us anything safe. Everything has stopped here. I was at university in Afghanistan but in the last year everything turned upside down, my studies and everything went to waste. I can not study here. “My mother is old, and very sad.” an Afghan national told VOA.

“As you know, the situation in my country is very bad, especially for a woman activist, or for someone who worked for democracy. We were threatened and in danger by the Taliban. Emigration is also very difficult because of the stress it causes. “We are worried because we have an uncertain future.”– said an Afghan citizen, human rights activist.

“The situation is not good in Afghanistan, every day the Taliban kill soldiers and civilians who work for the army. I was part of the Afghan army and if I had stayed in Afghanistan, the Taliban would have killed me. “I am very worried about my family and friends there, and I do not know when the situation will get better.” said an Afghan national, former military.

Many Afghans, who have been sheltered in Shengjin for nine months, told VOA they want to return to their country if peace is established there.

“If the road is opened, I will go there to serve my country, to build my country. Everyone wants to stay in their place. Every day we pray for peace to be restored in Afghanistan. “One day I want to return and when the Taliban government collapses I want to serve my people.” said another Afghan national.

According to UNHCR leaders in Tirana, Albania has recently proven to be a credible collaborator on the international stage when it comes to providing protection to certain categories of refugees, such as those from Afghanistan and Ukraine, who fled the country. them because of the conflict. But this agency notes that it remains a fact that refugees and other potential asylum seekers do not have the same effective access to Albanian territory and the Albanian asylum system. According to UNHCR data in Tirana during 2021, only 1% and 80% of refugees declaring in Albania that they come from countries that are a source of refugees such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, are referred by the authorities in asylum procedures.

“UNHCR is constantly seeking asylum for all refugees around the world. Respect for human rights and the rights of refugees is not a choice, it is a legal and moral obligation and should never be conditioned by nationality or manner of arrival. UNHCR remains committed to the Albanian authorities to restore access to the asylum procedure and supports a sustainable asylum system in Albania. “– said for the Voice of America Kristina Folkelius, Acting Chief of UNHCR.

Edlira Baka, Humanitarian and Community Protection Officer at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, expresses concern that the global refugee journey is becoming increasingly difficult, leading to this argument.

“In 2015, 1 in 265 people who moved due to the conflict lost without a trace. In 2022, 1 in 38 people who moved due to the conflict disappeared without a trace. “This means that refugees are not only fleeing their homes because their lives are in danger, but also the journey they make to a safer place has become increasingly difficult, and increasingly unsafe.” Edlira Baka, senior humanitarian defense officer, told VOA.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade. By the end of 2021, displaced people from war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses reached 89.3 million, 8 percent more than a year earlier and twice as many as 10 years ago, according to the annual report. of UNHCR Global Trends. In 2022 Russian aggression in Ukraine, according to this agency, caused the fastest crisis and one of the largest forced displacement since World War II, with 7 million people displaced and another 7 million internally displaced. country, bringing the figure to over 100 million. The concern for senior humanitarian defense officer Edlira Baka is related to the chain effect that these relocations produce.

“Today, refugee crises, of forcible relocation from one country of origin to another, which is not necessarily the neighboring country, are sometimes many times more distant countries, upsetting many balances, economic, psychological, social, cultural, emotional. “This causes the part of despair to spread, not only to those affected by the crisis, but also to those who have opened the doors to receive these people.” continued Edlira Baka, senior humanitarian defense officer.

Today in the world there are 29 countries of high emergency and hundreds of millions of inhabitants in the face of conflict. Meanwhile, there is a growing concern about the fact that food shortages, inflation and the climate crisis are adding to people’s hardships. UNHCR officials say this has increased the humanitarian response while the prospect of funding for many situations seems bleak.

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