Deputy Minister of Interior Affairs Rovena Voda declared yesterday that Albania has yet to receive an official EU request to create camps for immigrants expelled from EU Member States.
Voda told journalists:
At the moment, we have not received any official request or notification from any EU Member State or the European Council regarding camps to host immigrants from third world countries or refugees. We do have, in Tirana, a reception center for asylum seekers, but no camp.
Asked about the reception center for former ISIS fighter returning to the Balkans, Voda responded:
My official answer would, again, be no, for as long as I, as deputy Minister of the Interior, have not received any official notice, I, along with anyone else, cannot speculate regarding such a camp.
In the last few days, it was reported that two camps would be constructed in Albania: one for asylum seekers expelled by EU Member States, and another for former ISIS fighters.
The news regarding the former ISIS fighters reception center was made public, not by the government, but by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov during a conference against violent extremism, which took place in Tirana with the support of the King of Jordan.
The plan to build a camp for asylum seekers and refugees has been proposed by Austria, and is supported, on principle, by Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Prime Minister Edi Rama’s speech at his meeting with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz strongly implied that Albania would assist EU Member States with their illegal immigration issue, in exchange of opening EU accession negotiations.
