Migrants, hostage and “test stone”
“I killed my brother because he became a prostitute in Italy”
After clarifying the extent of the confrontation over compulsory aid for the reconstruction of the Balkans, where relations with Greece underline the need for proper relations of a democratic government and for due respect, with major developments in the corridors of the Balkans.
After clarifying the extent of the confrontation over compulsory aid for the reconstruction of the Balkans, where relations with Greece underline the need for proper relations of a democratic government and for due respect, with major developments in the corridors of the Balkans, the country closest to Greece and one of the first several countries hit by the Kosovo war, not only with its sarcasm but also with the large flows of refugees, has revealed no small amount of uncertainty in avoiding positions. A more careful reflection would have allowed this power too to use a clearer strategic plan, and even less to be hostage to recent developments.
Just as, because of the many family and economic ties with Greece, our country found itself unprepared in the face of the pressure to return, likewise the left-wing government has remained hasty in its reactions. Faced with the news of recent days that 5,000 emigrants have returned to Albania, the official response here was almost nonexistent. No one bothered to clarify the scale of this migration, whether it involved people returning voluntarily or being expelled by force. Beyond the number 5,000, what stood out was the silence of state officials, who after several weeks, despite the insistence of the press, still have not formed an idea of the size of the problem.
First of all the economic one, if hundreds and hundreds of thousands of emigrants were to return within a short time. Here, voices and opinions have multiplied about the responsible factors, which describe this situation as unsettled. Some of them link it to Prime Minister Majko's statements in Thessaloniki, where he claimed that Albanian emigrants work illegally and that, according to him, they should be legalized. Another part, more incoherent, links the continuation of this campaign to the dragging out of the solution to the problem of the Cham Albanians.
On the contrary, the silence of the Greek government and its structures in Albania, for several days now, has so far made the problem far from clear. All the more so because Greek officials and their offices in Albania have remained silent in the face of the figures coming from the border. Secondly, what is most striking is that our officials are unclear and in this case, although no full facts exist, whether this is a sporadic phenomenon or something more serious.
The latest event cannot simply be treated as a police episode at the border. It must be considered an economic, social, and political issue. Despite whatever undertones it may have, it cannot be overlooked that this wave of forced returns to Albania comes at a moment when our country is affected by the consequences of the war in Kosovo, by economic difficulties, and by the fluctuations in relations with neighboring countries.
Albanians who work in Greece are not just cheap labor. They are an important economic factor for Albanian families and for our economy itself. For this reason, any one-sided policy or practice that affects their lives has direct consequences in Albania. Silence is no longer enough. The Albanian government must demand clear explanations, defend the dignity of its citizens, and build a more honest relationship with Athens.