Prime Minister Edi Rama has stated that the Afghans due to touch down in Albania today, will be here due to a request from NATO, not from the United States.
Rama took to Twitter to say that he found it disturbing to read that Albania had only decided to shelter the refugees because the US asked.
“It’s ludicrous to turn the [sic] back on them and blame the US only. We were all back there as NATO and these people were there for us, because they believed in the ideals both US&EU stand about.”
So disturbing to read that Albania is sheltering the Afghanis only because the US asked us, as it is ludicrous to turn the back on them and blame the US only.We were all back there as NATO and these people were there for us, bcs they believed in the ideals both US&EU stand about.
— Edi Rama (@ediramaal) August 18, 2021
He added that Albania is taking them in out of its responsibility as a NATO country and because of who we are.
“We may not be rich, but we owe it to our Afghan friends in need, and we owe it to our tradition, to our own recent past as refugees, and also the memory that our children will inherit.”
He closed the post with two hashtags, including ‘#SaveAfganWomen’ [sic].
Yesterday, some 300 Afghans were due to arrive at Tirana International Airport. The flight was delayed due to unfolding chaos in Kabul.
Tents have been put up at the airport where all arrivals will be screened for medical issues. They will then be transferred to university dormitories at Student City in Tirana. At the end of the tourist season, some will be transferred to hotels in Durrës.
There is no information on how many refugees will come to Albania or how long they will stay. US Ambassador Yuri Kim has declined to give an exact figure, noting that the situation is changing quickly.
In an interview for Spanish newspaper “El Periodico,” Rama said he expects at least 1,000 refugees to arrive in Albania this week.
The costs of their keep will be covered by NATO.
At the weekend, Rama published a long statement on his justification for accepting refugees. He used the opportunity to take a swipe at journalists, calling them a “corrupt media machine” for questioning the presence of the controversial Iranian militant group MEK.
The refugees bound for Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and other countries are those that have worked for, with, or are affiliated with foreign entities such as the United States. It’s believed they will now be targets of the Taliban, who have seized control of most of the country, including the capital of Kabul.
