Montenegro's Albanian trafficking from East to Europe

The number of refugees in the new Balkan corridor increases, Hungary has just called for free construction of the border fence. An Albanian smuggler from Montenegro and two Pakistani refugees tell their stories about “Der Spiegel”.

The man is confused. That's where they're expecting a lot. But over”, he confidently says. I can't complain about commands”

He also breathes a cigarette, and the zubbes an extra - strong expresso. A coffee on Ulcinj's Skenderbeg, a coastal town in southern Montenegro, just beyond the border with Albania.

Bajrami, in her 40s, with black hair, unmarked for three days, speaks on condition that his real name is not published. Because he's a smuggler he organizes illegal refugees to be introduced from northern Albania towards Montenegro and further escorts them across the country.

Bajrami is from Ulcinqi, Albanian from Montenegro and has finished eighth grade. He doesn't have his own profession and he's been working various criminal jobs. He has, he says, ties from Turkey on Albania to Germany. His three grown children have received advice to deal with <x0 legal work” individually and gastronomy.

He's been a smuggler for four years, along with acquaintances. Initially, he worked in the Balkan Corridor 2015 through Serbia, Romania and Hungary to Germany; and now the new refugee corridor from Albania to Montenegro.

In the questions of “Der Spiegel” that “who does it work with? ”, “who is his boss? ”, Bajrami laughs and shows that there are too many connections. For more information, he wants money.

Refugees from Montenegro head towards Bosnia, which first sounded the alarm as they later navigate towards Croatia and Slovenia. Their purpose is to take refuge in Germany or Italy. This year about 5,000 refugees have passed through Bosnia, while all 2017 were only 755.

“We need to protect from this initiative”, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik said. The governments of Serbia and Montenegro should better control the borders and take refugees back, albinfo.ch conveys.

Austria is most concerned about the increase in refugees and has asked Prime Minister Edi Rama and President Hashim Thaci to block the border for refugees.

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For the “Der Spiegel” article, which is among the most read in Germany, the Montenegrin interior minister has also spoken. He says that despite increasing the number of refugees, “situata is under control”, but there is also a complaint for the Albanian side.

The only small problem for Montenegro is that Albania refuses to take refugees back. This is what we are talking about with the Albanian government, so that we can reach a” solution, Vojislav Dragovic said.

Hungary has offered it a 25km-long steel fence to place Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the border with Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic.

For now we don't think about building the fence at”, Dragovic thinks. “But if such a thing builds Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Albania, then we will build it in”.

The rapporteur of Europe's largest warehouse, which has also visited Albania, shows that there is no asylum centre in Shkodra, and perhaps for that, refugees do not appear in the streets. However, there is an increase in police forces.

Refugees have the last station in Albania, the village of Stef, north of the border in Muriqaan. So far they come in taxis, and then they cross the border by foot, where another taxi or transporter awaits them on the Montenegrin side.

The streets are cobbled in the woods, and no resident wants to talk openly about refugees.

The History of Two Pakistanis

Several days ago, two refugees from Pakistan Ziaul Haq and Mehran Habib, who are now in the Podgorica asylum centre, passed through this village. They show that they have left the city in abundance of rain in Lahore, as the Sunni has been threatened. Haq has remained unemployed since the end of 2016, when he left Saudi Arabia. There he worked in a mobile store.

Montenegro has no problems with refugees, as in the end, after a few days they leave for Bosnia.

That's what Mehran Habib and Ziaul Haq are looking for. They recognize that they are willing to pay someone to organize further toward the journey. Every new trip costs several hundred euros. Now they await the return of any knowledge.

He's reliable. He offers us a good corridor”, both say.