that failure to comply with international legislation has significantly affected vulnerable groups,
part of the migratory flows, including children, women, the elderly, victims of torture, persons
with disabilities, LGBTI, etc. The entire process should guarantee human dignity and basic
rights, avoiding the return to countries where their safety is not guaranteed.
In the context of deep social crisis and armed conflicts, the Ombudsman Institution as a
guarantor and promoter of human rights and fundamental freedoms, which represent the soles of
the values and principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance, plays an important
role in conformity with the standards of foreigners in Albania. For this purpose, the Ombudsman
Institution in the role of the National Mechanism for Prevention of Torture and in close
cooperation with the Agency of the United Nations for Refugees in Tirana (UNHCR), has
monitored continuously the Reception Center of Irregular Foreigners in Albania and Asylum
Seekers Centre, border crossing points, and has seen closely the points which are deemed
possible to build reception or assistance camps for the transit of persons in need of international
protection.
From inspections at reception and detention centers mentioned above, it is observed that their
capacity in space and in financial and human resources is insufficient, not only for cases of
massive inflows, but also for cases of gradual increase in the number of asylum seekers or
irregular migrants in a short time.
Furthermore, from the inspections at border crossing points, as well as the possible points –
reception or assistance camps for the transit passing of migrants, also confirmed by sources of
the Border Police, it was observed that there are many challenges to be overcome - even in an
emergency context, so that they are perceived as functional centers not only for the short-term
registration and assistance to persons in need, but also as residential centers which would enable
a longer stay of persons in need of international protection in them.
From the explanations and predictions made by officers of the Border Police, from information
obtained through the media and information from other countries, it is clear that a great number
of people enter every day in Greece and from there they depart in order to pass through the
Western Balkan countries – potentially including Albania, to certain countries of the European
Union. In most cases, they are clearly people in need of international protection and they should
be handled as refugees, whether they want to stay in a certain place or not. Consequently, it is
necessary to have a regional and European understanding about the humanitarian handling of
more than 4 million refugees from that country. We emphasize that their intention to move
towards some countries of the EU should not prejudice the handling that should be provided,
especially deeming the urgent need for humanitarian aid, but it is precisely this purpose that
should be determining the way of designing and building reception or profilizing centers,
according to each case.
Taking into account that:
1. Albania finds it impossible to build within a short time residential camps where it is
assumed that persons in need of international protection will be able to live for a long
time.
2. International assistance for this purpose would take time to be effective;
91
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents