As there was an article in the german newspaper DIE WELT1, stating that
there is an increasing number of refugees coming to Albania, we went
there to research about the situation. Find below the report with some
pictures. We would be interested in discussions about what information
are interesting and important, which information we should shorten or
spread and who might be the right address to organize information about
Albania and the border to Greece.
With the Balkan Route being closed within the next days by European
authorities, the route towards North by crossing Albania might become
more common. Another alternative might be the route via ferry and boats
from Greece to Italy, but the distance is with more than 180km much
longer than for example that from Turkey to Lesvos. So it might be too
long, dangerous and expensive for most of the refugees, that have become
more and more families and women.
Summary:
Police information from Albanian authorities and information we got by
an Albanian activist differ widely. The official Asylum procedure might
not be the rule while Albania is concentrating on not letting refugees
enter or trying to push them back to Greece as fast as possible. What
happens when larger amounts of refugees try to enter is completely
unknown. The Albanian activist we talked to declared, that he would not
advice anyone to take this route until the situation in Albania and the
numbers of people trying change. So far there are almost no refugees
trying to take this route. Press information of high numbers waiting at
the borders are proven to be wrong by passing 3 of 4 official border
crossings from Albania to Greece (or other way around)2. Also
information about camps being opened at Korca and Gjirokaster (Albania)
couldn't be validated. There is information about inofficial detention
centers being used close to the cities Permet and Gjirokastra to keep
people until groups are big enough to send them back to Greece. There is
no information about people staying at (camps) the two fixed
camps/centers in Tirana so far – UNHCR Albania did not react on
E-Mail-questions, update will follow soon. In press releases quoted
official camps for refugees in Albania do not exist so far, according to
UNHCR Albania and people living closed to the border to Greece.
According to press releases Albania and Montenegro are increasing
military presence at border controls. There are also articles about
Albania and Italy negotiating on opening camps at Albanian site together
with the help of Italian government in case numbers of refugees at
Albanian coast increase.
Content:
Articles on Albania / alternative routes
Interview Albanian State Police Officer about official Asylum procedure
and procedure at green borders
Notes and pictures on Scouting border Macedonia/Greece and
Albania/Greece
Notes on talk to Albanian activist A.
Follow-up, questions and research ideas
************
Articles on Albania / alternative routes:
http://www.telegraf.rs/english/2017765-migrants-changed-the-route-they-are-using-albania-to-go-to-eu
http://www.politico.eu/article/balkan-route-closed-eu-to-declare/
http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/balkanroute-abgeriegelt-grenzsturm-schiffe-albanien-welchen-weg-nehmen-die-festsitzenden-fluechtlinge_id_5337380.html
http://www.ekathimerini.com/206511/opinion/ekathimerini/comment/albanias-crucial-role-in-the-refugee-crisis
http://www.balkaneu.com/albania-open-borders-ready-accept-part-responsibility/
https://about.hr/news/balkan/albania-montenegro-brace-refugee-spillover-12717
http://top-channel.tv/english/artikull.php?id=16457
http://www.albaniannews.com/index.php?idm=4797&mod=2
************
Interview Albanian police man / officer of the border police at Greek
(Krystallopigi)-Albanian (Bilisht) border crossing, 28th of February.
Statements on official procedure of Asylum Seeking, illegal and legal
border-crossing to Albania.
assumptions :
Being told that crossing the greek border-checkpoint is no problem (by
greek police man). Unclear what is about persons that are not registered
in Greece or having any documents/ID's/passports.
All information are on the basis of little or almost no people/refugees
from SIA-countries trying to cross the border so far.
All information on Asylum procedure and border-controls are only for
refugees coming from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, even though we assume
that it should be valid for all non-EU-citizens.
It is supposed that situation at other border crossings from Greece to
Albania is the same.
5 days ago Albania gave official letter to Greek government that they
will not take illegals from Greece (unclear who is meant by
“illegals”?).
Statement by police officer: “I don't know what we will do if there is
great numbers of refugees coming. We will keep on procedure.”
Main route to go on that was mentioned is the route to Montenegro. Also
mentioned was the way to Italy.
Questions:
Difference between “illegals” and “registered” persons (in Greece)?
Same procedure for all non-EU- and non-Albanian-persons?
If you have no document showing how you entered / where you have been
registered in greece, do you have to go back to Lesbos or other islands?
Influence from the Albanian Asylum procedure on asylum procedure in an
EU country?
Influence on asylum procedure in albania when people entered the country
illegaly and got caught by police?
************
Below you find different scenarios for refugees coming to Albania:
1) Person coming on official way to Albanian site of Albanian-Greek
border
1a) asking for Asylum
- “Asyl” or “Asylum” told to any official person / police person starts
the Asylum procedure
- you will be brought to police station 1km next to the border on
Albanian site
- you will be asked/interviewed by police, part of the interview have to
be at least 4 persons, one IOM, one translator, police officer and X (?)
- there is a 4 pages document with questions written in
English/Albanian/Arabic
- questions: name, sex, date of birth, place of birth, identity document
in possession, expiration date, religion, nationality, citizenship,
entry date in albania, place of bordercrossingpoint in albania,
job/family/health/on which way was the country entered/departure time
home country/reasons for leaving/route and countries crossed on the
way/other countries applied for Asylum?/In which other countries?/want
to ask for Asylum in Albania?/want to go back to home country?/want
IOM's repatriation assistance?
- immigration department of ministry of interior takes over the process,
second document will be filled in including fingerprints and biometrical
data
- persons will be brought to Tirana to Asylum center, the center is a
closed one , people have to stay there until the procedure is finished,
no information on duration
notes:
- Asylum center in Tirana seems to be closed, quote police man: “maybe
smart people ask for Asylum and try to escape the camp after being
brought to Tirana to travel on out of Albania”
- at the border no information about people who already asked for Asylum
(from SIA countries), seem to be very little numbers so far
- if you asked somewhere else for Asylum you cannot ask again in
Albanian
- if you ask in Albania for Asylum and afterwards in other countries “it
is another case”, have to confirm what that means
1b) asking for transit
- if people from SIA countries come to the Albanian border site asking
for transit, they are not allowed to pass
- until they haven't entered the country they are free to go back to
Greece
2) Person crossing on inofficial green border
If you enter the country over the so-called green border (all part of
the border that is no official border crossing) you entered illegally.
If police catches you there is to possible procedures.
2a) asking for Asylum
- see 1a
- not sure if there is any difference in the way you are treated in the
Asylum procedure when you entered illegally
2b) not asking for Asylum
- if you don't ask for Asylum you are treated as 'illegally'
- you are brought to Tirana
- in Tirana there is a second camp/center for 'illegal' persons, that is
also aclosed one
- the camp and procedure is under the control of the border directory
- no information about number of deportations (and if the deportations
back to the country of origin or the last country where the person got
registered)
notes:
- there is patrols checking the green borders
- there is no fences, the former Yugoslavian Republic was fenced but
fences are gone
- the green border closed to Kakavia is easier to path, cause there is
no mountains but free fields
- the police officers mentioned people crossing there over the fields
************
Notes and pictures on Scouting border Macedonia/Greece and
Albania/Greece:
- Scouting-tour from Skopje to border Macedonia/Greece by car, ca.
180km:
Main route Skopje heading South, leaving route at Gradzko heading
towards Prilep and Bitola. Gradzko to Prilep lots of mountains, no
woods. After Prilep low and wide terrain and little street next to main
road (A3 / R1101). R1101 leads at Bitola into A3.
Bitola to Niki, A3, road with official border crossing to Greece.
Left A3 for road to Bistrica after Bitola on the road R2333. Road leads
to the green border Macedonia-Greece. The former border-crossing with
some empty military housings is left alone. The former crossing is
closed by a fence. The fence goes from A3-border crossing to this place.
The fece is 2 meteres hight and with “NATO-Draht”. After this place it
gets smaller and ends completely. Little traces of people that might
have had a short break in one of the housings found. Further east of the
housings low hills and woods.
The A3-border-crossing is called Medzhitlija. To the west there is some
kilometers of fences and smaller hills beginning. To the East no fences
seen and wide and open field.
There is a train-track from Neos Kafkasos at the greek side ending
behind the border in Macedonia some 100 metres before the village
Kreminica. No trains any more. Train track at greek side goes on through
the country until road A2 that connects the Greek East to the West
- Scouting tour from Medzhitlija (Macedonia/Greece) to Krystallopigi
(Greek site of the border crossing to Albania), ca. 60km:
Medzhitlika-Florina, road number 3. Road conditions ok, terrain ok for
walking.
Florina-Krystallopigi, road E86/later road number 2. Bad road, high
hills, serpentines and warnings cause of wild animals and bears.
Border-crossing in the middle of hills, no vegetation, rocks, next
village at Greek side Krystallopigi 3km away.
Police interview at Albanian site.
Neither people in Greece nor at the border-crossing knew anything about
refugees taking this way (an owner of a hotel in Krystallopigi will keep
us informed if anything changes).
- Scouting tour from border-crossing Krystallopigi (Greek site border
crossing to Albania) to Bilisht (Albania) ca. 7km after border-crossing:
Former military camp near Bilisht mentioned by a Greek person and
Albanian police officer supposed to be a future refugee-camp. Not
prepared yet. Haven't found the camp. People around Bilisht didn't know
anything about refugees coming or having come. Wide mountains, almost no
vegetation.
- Scouting tour from Bilisht (Albania) to Korca (Albania), ca. 30Km:
Road condition ok. Terrain walkable. Searching for camp mentioned by
Albanian minister (according to press release 24th February 16) to
become one of the two refugee camps in Albania. Nothing found. No one
knew anything about the camp or refugees in Albania. UNHCR Albania told
at telephone that aren't camps. Nor at Korca nor at Gjirokaster
(anywhere else South or North of Tirana)
- Scouting tour from Korca (Albania) to border-crossing Leskovik
(Albania) to Konica (Greece), 90km:
Very bad road (SH75), mountains, woods, little almost no housings, wild
animal warnings. Border-crossing closed at night, military person
standing around closed to border. No places, hotels, shelters or motels
to sleep and stay around, went for sleeping at Permet, 25km away at
Albanian site.
- Scouting tour from Permet (Albania) passing Gjirokaster (Albania) to
broder-crossing Kakavia (Albania) Ktismata (Greece), ca. 88Km:
Heading SH75 North. Surrounding big mountains from Permet heading
towards Gjirokaster. After surrounding the mountains there is the
crossing to E853 towards Tirana in the North-East and Gjirokaster to the
South. From the crossing SH75/E853 to Gjirokaster there is mountains and
a river following the street. Maybe at summer the river is good to walk.
After Gjirokaster (going further South) the terrain gets wide and low
until some kilometers before border-crossing. Border-crossing is
surrounded by smaller mountains. Behind border-crossing on Greek site
there is mountains without vegetation, might be walked but not too
easily, big and good road. Almost no housings for kilometers.
- Igoumenitsa port (to Korfu and Italy), close to Southern
Greek-Albanian border-crossing:
Talked to people selling tickets and port police that is not the
official state or border police. No experiences with people for example
from Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan. Completely lost with our questions
about possibility to travel with registration document handed out at
islands and ID from home country. State police next to German consulat
some hundred meters away explained, that people who leave the corridor
Athens-Idomeni are illegaly crossing Greece and are not allowed to be in
this part of Greece or travel buy ferry3.
Notes on talk to A., activist from Albania, 4th of March in Thessaloniki
- prime minister of Albania: not going to build a fence, but also not
accepting immigrants from Greek site
- some friend's information: not possible to take ship from Albania to
Italy for refugees
- some general thoughts on Albania: not trust authorities or the police;
smugglers ans “normal” people will try to take advance out of the
situation if refugees are coming to the country; there is and will be
people robbing tourists and refugees; Albanian people might call the
police; they might also take refugees to work at their place and not
paying them and calling the police afterwards
- Albanian people know ways over green border because 1998 lot of
Albanian tried to take that way to enter Greece
- general opinion on taking the way through Albania is bad BUT situation
might change completely, when there is a bigger movement of people and
not only small groups or lonesome people entering
- even if you can enter the country it is not really clear where to go;
cops will be all around and the roads are bad
- if there is some Albanian activists, most of them are in Athens now,
which means there is no active support crews and groups around; couldn't
give advice of any NGO or support group to contact in Albania; no
emergency phone number for Albanian
- if caught by the police you will not be treated the way it should be,
you will possibly not even be able to call somewhere
- because a lot of Albanian people have been migrating in the last years
as well, the support in the bigger towns might be good/ok; at the
borders and in the smaller villages the mood might be anti or bad
towards refugees and people trying to path the borders
- assumption, that no one would be interested if people ask for Asylum;
Albania doesn't want to take refugees and will bring everybody back to
Greece
- some friend's information, that Albanian authorities started to use
school buildings next to the border crossings to keep refugees, wait
until there is bigger groups and send them back to Greece; one of these
places is nearby Gjirokaster, another close to Permet(?).
- Albania will not accept refugees until the EU will give money to the
state; will also be part of negotiations about Albania in the EU,
Albanian refugees in Germany and so on; so far Albania will send all the
people back to Greece or Macedonia cause they do not have the money to
deport them directly to their home countries
- because Albania doesn't want to take refugees, at the green border
they will push people directly back to Macedonia or Greece
- general advice not to take that way
Questions and research needs:
- what happens if non-registered person asks to pass border from Greece
to Albania? Send back to Athens?
- what happens if a non-registered person is caught in the green border
at Albanian site (next to Macedonia or Greece)?
- what's (what are the?) conditions in the two camps in Tirana (one for
illegals, one for Asylum Seekers) and do they really exist?
- where are the places police is detaining refugees at the Albanian site
of the Greed-Macedonian border before sending them back to Greece?
- what's (s.o.)conditions in those places?
- is there any cases of people having passed Albania?
- is there any cases of people having crossed via ferry to Italy from
Albania?
- is there any people who tried to cross Albania and have been send back
who can talk about conditions and treatment in Albania?
- is there any NGO's active in Albania watching treatment and processes?
- what's the role of IOM at borders, is there any contact? Interview!
- what's happening with refugees if they manage to pass towards Italy by
ferry when they arrive in Italy?
- is there any possibility to gain information of people who try to
manage the route to get to know where there are and what passages might
be possible / watch the process in Albania? Squat-information-paper,
contact-number or facebook-account, UNHCR?!...
- what's happening at Albanian border site if Greek border might be
passed by bigger amounts of people?
- what's happening if people in Albania do not have valid papers showing
the route they've come / where to pushback or which first country to
send back?
- mail-contact A. or other activists that would be ok with being contact
for Albania?
- information flow from squat Thessaloniki and other places in Greece
about people's experiences?
- information flow from places people might reach when they pass Albania
to get to know how they managed and what experiences they've made?
- questions about which information are useful for refugees trying to
pass
- punishment and restrictions for people helping refugees in Albania?
- information flow from people who managed to go on to Serbia, Croatia,
Slowenia, Montenegro...? active supporters in every country? Contact
management and interviews.
- support structures in Greece close to Albanian border? Ktismata,
Ioannina, Kozani...? Contacts?
---
No Border Action Days 01st to 3rd April 2016
http://noborderaction.blogsport.eu/2016/03/01/no-border-action-days-call-for-support/
https://iwspace.wordpress.com/
twitter.com/noborderberlin
http://bordermonitoring.eu/
http://w2eu.info/