In an interview for newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare, German ambassador Susanne Schutz, has reminded Albanians that seeking asylum in Albania is a “hopeless procedure.” She added that “practically all asylum applications by Albanian citizens receive a negative response.” After receiving the negative response, Albanian citizens are supposed to return to their home country:
If refused asylum seekers do not accept to voluntarily leave Germany, they are repatriated by force to their country of origin and are prohibited entry into the entire Schengen zone for up to five years.
According to Ambassador Schutz, during the first half of 2017 3,500 Albanians have applied for asylum in Germany, of which 2,500 have already been repatriated.
The comments of the German ambassador come only a few days after Prime Minister Edi Rama, during a press conference after an informal meeting with Western Balkan prime ministers, denied the existence of Albanian asylum seekers.
