Albanian government extends protection to Afghan refugees by six months

Afghan refugees who were given shelter in Albania following the takeover of the Taliban in August 2021 have been granted another six months to remain in the country, the government announced on Thursday.

Around 3000 Afghans were flown into Tirana in the aftermath of the western withdrawal from the war-torn country last summer. The government was one of the first in the world to open its doors to the refugees, granting them temporary protection for one year. While many have been issued visas and have left for countries such as the US and Canada, several hundred still remain.

“With the end of the term defined in point 2 of this decision, the stay of persons who are still in the territory of the Republic of Albania is postponed for another 6 (six) months,” the decision reads, charging the ministries of defence, European and foreign affairs, health, tourism, and finance with implementing the decision.

Those that remain have been left in limbo, some with no idea if or when they will get visas for the US. Those who spoke to Exit said they had not even been given case numbers. A source from within the State Department, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said no more visas would be issued for Afghans in Albania, calling their future into question.

At the start of the summer, the threat of eviction loomed over them as many had been accommodated in hotels on the country’s Adriatic coast. But as funding from NGOs dried up, no one was there to foot the bill. It is believed an agreement was struck as the government intervened.

Exit visited the hotels where Afghan refugees were staying in December 2021. Many of those interviewed spoke of the challenges of being stuck in limbo, not knowing which countries they would be going to or when. Significant delays in visa applications were reported, with many stating they had not even been assigned case numbers.

Others reported depression and anxiety due to not knowing what would happen to them.

As of July 2022, many Afghan citizens can be found working in hotels and other seasonal establishments in Durres and Shengjin. One man who spoke to Exit said he took the job to provide assistance for his family, but also to keep himself occupied. He is working as a lifeguard in a busy resort while other friends work as cleaners, maintenance workers, and even security.