Albania agreed to host Afghan refugees while they are being vetted for visas for the US. Although some in the country feel that Albania has a duty to help its NATO ally, others feel Albania is struggling enough as it is.
After the Taliban's takeover, there is an urgent need to find shelter for Afghans airlifted out. Albania has been negotiating with the US on accommodating people who have fled in Tirana. Details are slowly emerging.
An EU report assessing whether Western Balkan countries continue to meet requirements for visa liberalization showed that despite a drop in illegal crossings, improvement is needed in migration management.
An international network of cities is advocating for the just distribution of refugees and migrants in the European Union. During a founding conference in Italy, they articulated their vision of a welcoming Europe.
A new report has placed a spotlight on the migrant smuggling business and other illicit activities running through the Western Balkans, including drugs and money laundering. The report estimates that the migrant smuggling business alone could be worth up to €50 million per year in the region.
On Saturday, news agencies reported that 55 Syrian migrants had been brought back to land after hours on a boat in rough seas. The Syrians had been attempting to reach Italy.
The UK Home Office charged 69 Albanian migrants in November this year with "illegally entering the country" on a boat. Now it has transpired that the boat was intercepted before they reached the UK and so the charges have been dropped.
Thousands of Albanians who work in Greece have been unable to re-enter the country. New anti-coronavirus rules imposed by Athens require them to be COVID-tested three days before they are allowed across the border.
A total of 80,366 applications for migrant regularization in Italy have been submitted in the first month of the scheme, which began on June 1 as part of post-COVID-19 relaunch measures. The vast majority of the cases have already been processed. However, the Italian interior ministry said the number of applications is continually growing.
German police have raided 26 premises across the country on Wednesday during an operation to dismantle human trafficking rings. Three suspects have been detained, who are alleged to have links to a criminal group run by a 65-year-old Kosovan national, who was also arrested.
Western Balkan workers are critical to some German industries, but a migration scheme may be greatly reduced. The CDU party wants to starkly reduce the number of Western Balkan workers coming to Germany.
According to an investigation by the magazine Balkan Insight, increasing numbers of migrants in Albania are being left hungry and frightened in state-run facilities. They are reduced to begging on the streets to get by.