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Government Signs Agreement to Take Back Illegal Immigrants from EU

SEEurope

19 April 2005

Albania signed an agreement with the European Union yesterday pledging to take back illegal immigrants, Albanians and others, who have used Albanian territory to enter the 25-nation EU.

Ermelinda Meksi

Ermelinda Meksi, Albania�s European integration minister, said signing the accord was part of Tirana�s bid to accelerate �the political and economic development of Albania� and move closer to the EU with which it has been negotiating an association agreement since 2003.

The accord with Albania is the fourth for the EU. It already has readmission accords with Macao, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka and is pursuing deals with Russia as well as North African and other neighbors.

The readmission agreements force countries to take back their own nationals who entered the EU illegally, and others who used their territory to do so.

Meksi said Tirana had already made great progress in stemming the westward flow of illegal immigrants and the traffic of human beings. EU Justice Commissioner Franc Farthing said the latter was an urgent concern at the EU head office.

As Meksi spoke in Luxembourg, officials in Tirana said they stopped 30 people trying to enter Greece illegally and arrested three Albanians who tried to take them into Greece.

Fighting human trafficking � especially the trade in prostitutes � has become a top priority for authorities in Albania, which seeks eventual membership in both NATO and the European Union. Many poor Albanians see getting to Western Europe as their only chance for a better life.

User comments

"What's all this?"

Author: genci sala

Time: 20.04.2005 23:05

Comment: Are there any applauses in the room?
If this decision of the Albanian government were to be appreciated as it is, then, why don't we see other European governments implementating such accords? IE, the Greek government, or why not, Bulgarian and Romanian governments as well that are trying to join the EU by 2007...
The issue of illegal immigrants trying to enter European zone is a major issue and problem, all countries should collaborate and do their best to give the right solution to this.
What I mean is, that from my point of view, those "illegal" immigrants that cross the Albanian territory and thus get smuggled to Europe, do not drop into Albania from heaven, they aren't raindrops, and there's no way to access Albania if they don't cross another state; thus, in poor words; whether they enter Albania crossing through Greece, whether Macedonia or Serbia and Montenegro, and so on. What are these countries doing to stop this "flow" of "illegal" immigrants?
Besides all this, Albania is the most criticized government of the whole region, and Albanians are the most penalized people of the same region.
Is this the European answer to A Concern, A Problem, An Issue?
I totally agree when it comes to the albanian immigrants itself; but, when we talk about other nationalities, then, everyone should take its share of the problem.
This way, justice is done.
God Bless y'all.