Einblicke in die schattige Vergangenheit der albanischen Visumssaga
Insight into the Overshadowed Past of the Albanian Visa Saga

Summary/Abstract: The saga of the Albanian exodus to Europe is long and sometimes tragic. Since the collapse of communism in 1990, many Albanians headed towards different European countries searching for a better life. After the first big wave of refugees had subsided, the EU countries set strong rules for Albanians to enter. It was not easy to get a visa. Many Albanians tried the illegal way, often using the “visa mafia”, and failed. The difficult years of Albanian transition until the beginning of the new century regularly caused streams of refugees. In the last years, the improvement of law and order brought the country to stability and a visa-liberalisation process with the EU was initiated. Albania had to fulfill the requirements of the European Commission concerning travel documents, security, migration and border controls, law and order, reintegration of victims of human trafficking and returning emigrants, foreign affairs and human rights. On 15 September 2010, a Report of the European Commission, based on experts’ evaluation, gave Albania good grades for fulfilling these criteria and green light for visa-liberalisation. The last word came from the Council of the EU Interior Ministers at their meeting in November 2010. They sanctioned visa-liberalisation with Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina by majority decision, opening the way for their people to travelling visa-free for 90 days in the Schengen zone by the end of 2010.

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