In Albania some ethnic Macedonian media don’t only whip up the anti-Albanian sentiments against Albanians who live in Macedonia, but also those who live in Albania. Newspaper Mina recently advocated territorial claims on Albania in its article “When we will take the 46 Albanian villages with Macedonian population,” published on March 30, 2017:
The Macedonian population in Albania is located in the eastern part of the country. The largest part of them lives in the large cities, also including Tirana. Except the large cities, there are 46 villages populated with only ethnically Macedonian inhabitants.
22 villages are along the border northwest of the city Debar in Macedonia, in the area of the river Drin where the language used is Macedonian: Gjinovec, Vërnic, Zabzun, Ostreni, Borova, Sebishti, Lejcani, Cerenici, Pasinka, Orzhanova, Trebishti, and Okshtuni. Between Maqellara and Peshkopi there are three Macedonian villages: Kërçisht i Sipërm, Kërçisht i Poshtëm, and Erbele.
In the area of Gorija – north-east of the road from Korça to Bilisht and Trestenik, on the Albanian–Greek border in the direction of Kostur, there is the Macedonian village Vrnik.
In the area of Prespa e Madhe, south of the Prespa lake, there are nine Macedonian villages: Liqenasi (Pustec), Lajthiza, Zaroshka, Cerja, Shulini, Gollombopi, Gorica e Vogël, Bezmishti, and Gorica e Madhe.
In the area of Shishtavec and Zapod there is the minority of Gorans, north-east of Kukës. There live in nine villages: Orshek, Cërnolevo, Borje, Orgosta, Zapod, Kosharishta, Fshati i Ri, Orusha, and Pashigja.
Macedonians are located also in other cities around the country as a result of the emigration during 1915–1917. In this period, the left from Golloborda, Prespa e Madhe, and Reka in the direction of Elbasan, Dardha, Korça, Bilisht, Pogradec, Vlora, Fier, Shkodra, and Patos. Other emigration waves happened in the years 1923, 1929, and 1939.
Macedonians are in Albania recognized as an official minority, and Macedonian is recognized as a minority language.
