20 minutes agoEU '%s', Albania with border control agreement
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)The European Union says it has signed an agreement with Albania allowing EU border guards to enter the Balkan country to help control migrants, the first agreement of such a kind as Albania and the EU. The EU headquarters said Friday that the “agreement is aimed at fighting irregular migration, [...]
The EU headquarters said on Friday that the “agreement is aimed at combating irregular migration, in particular the unexpected changes in migration flows and cross-border crime”, as reported by Reuters and international media.
Albania, which is not yet a member of the EU, has become a preferred route for immigrants heading towards northern Europe from Greece and Bulgaria since Serbia has tightened border controls.
Border guards can enter Albania if Tirana agrees and is armed. They would not act according to Albanian law and could not be controlled.
EU Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos said the agreement “is a historic moment in EU external co-operation in border management”.
