The Albanian government has allocated €55,000 from the state budget to the reconstruction of the National Reception Center for Asylum Seekers in Tirana to increase its accommodation capacity.
This decision comes after Albania agreed to temporarily host afghan refugees leaving the Taliban regime.
According to a Decision of the Council of Ministers (DCM) on August 20, the funds have been rerouted from the budget of the state police.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stated earlier this week that Afghans refugees will not be sheltered in special camps, as according to him this would be “inhumane.”
Over the last three years, the number of refugees and asylum seekers to Albania have increased tenfold, although welcoming and housing procedures have not improved.
According to interviews with refugees conducted by Voice of America (VOA), the Asylum Seekers Center in the outskirts of Tirana is in poor condition. Refugees said the center serves only water and pasta.
This center hosts refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine, and Bangladesh.
The EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca also spoke about the worrisome situation at the National Reception Center for Asylum Seekers. He asked the Albanian institutions to intervene urgently in order to guarantee the minimum conditions in the center.
Meanwhile, the EU Delegation and UNHCR in Albania welcomed the adoption of a new law on Asylum Seekers by the Albanian Parliament. The is law aims to adapt the management of refugees and migrants entering Albanian territory to international standards and EU legislation.
Representatives of organizations focusing on the freedoms and rights of immigrants admitted that while the law is in line with EU standards, it is still not implemented properly.
