Prime Minister Edi Rama clarified that the agreement on migrants with Italy, which transforms Albania into a welcoming country for immigrants from the Mediterranean, clarified that this agreement would work in the same way as in centers in Greece.
Rama, French television In an interview with French television “France 24”, the Prime Minister states that if this agreement had been concluded by an EU country, it would no longer be relevant.
– Why this surprise agreement that surprised everyone?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: We must underline a very simple reason. It is true that Albania is not yet a member of the EU, but it is a fully European country, neighboring Italy, and if the same agreement had been concluded with an EU country, it would would not be news of the day at all. But the fact that this agreement is concluded with a third country not only generates news, but also conspiracy theories and suspicions which are not serious, for me. If we question the method, we must question the entire European Union, we must question the method in all EU countries, because these reception centers do not are not new. This is a standard reception center in all EU countries.
– Only that it is outsourced, as you rightly said, outside the territory of the EU. Even in your country, this agreement caused surprise, more than 30,000 immigrants who can arrive each year in one of the reception centers will be located in the Shengjin region, 75 km from Tirana. Some Albanians fear the move will endanger the local tourism industry.
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Why should we be scandalized if this is outsourced from a European Union country to a fully European country which is a neighbor of this European country? We should not be scandalized by this, we should think about how we should all react to this phenomenon which continues to grow and to which no one has given an answer. Maybe reception centers are not the real solution, but it is not up to us to teach Europe. We are simply providing a little help to a country that is not only a neighbor, but with which we have had deep ties for a long time. On the other hand, I must say that it is not a question of 36,000 people, but of a reception center with 3,000 places available. This means that there will be 3000 people in Albania and no more, if there is rotation, it is something normal, there will perhaps be more people expected and whose application is examined in Albania. But there are 3,000 people. And I don’t think these 3,000 people are going to shake up the tourism industry. Because we have already hosted around 4,000 Afghans…
-In 2021. You are a social democrat, when NGOs like Amnesty International consider this illegal agreement with devastating consequences for immigrants who can be subjected to long isolation and other abuses, this agreement which excludes only children and pregnant women, are you not afraid that this will contribute to the development of trafficking in Albanian human beings?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: I find all this difficult to understand. I repeat, this is not the only reception center in Europe, it has the same standard and the same nature as those in Greece. Greece is a member of the EU and I don’t know if there is a difference and where those who criticize see it. And the 3,000 people who will come to Albania in the reception center become the trigger for the old chorus of stories with the mafias, with the traffickers, with human rights and others like that, this It doesn’t matter. We need to think more deeply about these things, we need to find solutions…
– You have the impression that the European Commission, the European countries are more convinced of the geopolitical interest of the integration of the Balkan countries, but there are still problems between them, in particular between Serbia and Kosovo, with very visible tensions. How do you think the Club of 27 can be expanded to countries that still have strong tensions between them?
Prime Minister Edi Rama: Perhaps that is what you said, and rightly so. This is perhaps one more reason to integrate them. From a geopolitical point of view, it would be suicidal for the European Union to exclude the region or certain countries. It should do the opposite, it should include and unite, because that is the only way to achieve definitive peace in the region. Yes, there are occasional problems, there are setbacks and setbacks, but the general framework of the region is much better than it was 10 years ago. And this is thanks to the European Union and the appeal it enjoys in these countries.
