All News on Social Issues in Albania

Albanian, UK, Leaders Patch up Row over Migration, Pledge Cooperation

Albanian PM Edi Rama and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak pledged that their two countries will cooperate on the migration issue during the framework of Rama's two-day visit to London.

The UK has complained that the number of Albanians arriving illegally in the UK has increased, and since then the country has taken several steps to tackle it.

Domestic and Sexual Violence Sentences ‘Often Lenient’ in South-East Europe

The US State Department's global human rights report for 2022, published on Monday, said that in the majority of south-east European countries, perpetrators of domestic violence and rape often receive lenient sentences.

In some countries, the authorities also fail to properly investigate spousal rape cases, according to the State Department report.

Southeast Europe Marches for Women’s Rights

Domestic violence survivor Elvedina Hajdari on Wednesday joined the Women's Day march in Kosovo organized by civil society and women's rights NGOs in the capital, Pristina, sharing her own experience of judicial institutions' neglect.

New UK Law Targets Small Boat Crossings, Often by Albanians

The UK government introduced to parliament on Tuesday proposed legislation, dubbed the 'Stop the Boats' bill, to crack down on illegal migration, in many cases by Albanians using small boats to cross the Channel from France.

Discrimination Forces Transgender Albanians to Self-Medicate, or Go Abroad

Neither gender-affirming hormone therapy nor sex reassignment surgery is available in Albania, meaning transgender Albanians like Fiona face having to self-medicate or travel to North Macedonia, Serbia or Turkey. The costs, financial and psychological, can be huge.

Concerns Grow About Albanian Children Missing in UK

A British minister said Albanian children are prominent among migrant youngsters who have gone missing from hostels and hotels run by the Home Office - the UK equivalent to the Interior Ministry.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick told MPs that of 4,600 child asylum seekers who had arrived in the UK since 2021, 440 had gone missing and only about half had returned.

Kosovo Serbs block road in protest against shooting of Serb youths

STRPCE- Kosovo Serbs blocked a regional road between Strpce and Urosevac on Friday in protest against a drive-by shooting and wounding of two Serb youths earlier in the day, Tanjug's correspondent on the ground reports.

Serbia received a message from the EU: You are taking a risk

"Serbia risks its own visa-free regime with the EU if it does not reduce the flow of migrants from third countries who travel without visas to its territory and then on to the EU", European diplomatic sources say ahead of the meeting of interior ministers in Luxembourg.

The Bulgarians in Albania Need Support, They Want an Urgent Meeting with President Radev

The Bulgarian-Macedonian dispute is also being carried over to Albania. Another misunderstanding arises over the possible separation of two regions in Albania - Golo Bardo (Gollobordë) and Gora, into separate municipalities, reports BNT. The Bulgarian minority, recognized by the Parliament in Tirana in 2017, is concentrated in these areas.

Albania Pushes for ‘Golden Passports’ Despite EU Criticism

An Albanian biometric passport. Photo courtesy: Bevis Fusha / Safran

After first changing the law on private-public partnerships (PPP) by adding the citizenship programmes to lists in which the law can be used, the Albanian government is now mulling hiring private firms to promote this scheme to foreigners.

British Rightist Ex-Politician Farage Criticised for Attacks in Albanian Migrants

Statements made British rightist former politician Nigel Farage about Albanian illegal migrants to the UK have caused anger on social media, especially on Twitter, after a statement in which he said: "Now that one in ten foreign-born parents in the UK are Albanian, any guess as to the ratio in five years' time?" Albanian institutions have not commented on the statements of the former UKIP party

Albania Proposes Controversial Amnesty for Undeclared Assets

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (left) and Socialist Party secretary-general Damian Gjiknuri. Photo: LSA

The opposition claims that the scheme would allow criminal to launder proceeds of illegal activities, in a country where money-laundering and organised crime are a serious concern.

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