Netherlands does not like Albanians, calls for EU suspension of visa-free movement

The request made by the Dutch Permanent Representative to the European Union, Robert de Groot, is a reflection of the decision made in April by the Dutch Parliament on the issue, where in favour of the proposal to address the European Commission, 92 MPs from 150 members of the Lower Chamber voted.

According to the letter, addressed by EU Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopolos, the reasons for demand related to increasing Albanian criminality in the Netherlands, increasing the number of Albanians who stay illegally there, as well as the demands for asylum.

In recent years problems with Albanian citizens have attracted the attention of Dutch citizens. Citizens from Albania play a significant role in organised crime in cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, or in other regions of the country”, emphasises letters in which also point out that “there is a growing number of illegal immigrants coming from Albania, mostly young men who want to start a new life in the United Kingdom”, using Netherlands ports as a springboard.

The number of asylum requests on the part of Albanian citizens has remained constantly high”, writes the representative in the European Union, under which “circumstances are undermining the public support of Dutch citizens to visa liberalisation in general and in particular to visa liberalisation for Albanian citizens”, the Voice of America reports.

According to Dutch authorities, in the situation created, there are conditions envisioned under the provisions of the EU regulation that set in motion the suspension mechanism of free visa movement such as “risks and the increased threat of public order and internal security of member states” or “the increase in the number of citizens whose third countries have refused access or position on memberial territory<3> and “the significant achievement of the number of asylum requirements for citizens of the countries having a low percentage of accession <5>

According to data that the Dutch Permanent Representative has submitted in his letter to the European Commission, the number of Albanian citizens who were detained while standing illegally has gone to 945 persons in 2018 from 395 to 2017, 370 in 2016 and 155 in 2015. While the number of Albanians who were denied entry, in 2018 there were 245 people, down from 285 in 2017, but up from 200 people in 2016 and 185 in 2015. Research on asylum demand varies year after year. In 2015, 1005 of these were registered, going to 1665 a year later, to drop to 365 in 2017, and increasing to 550 requests in 2018.

In his letter, De Groott explains that “Albania and the Netherlands are working together to fight organised crime on the part of Albanian citizens in the Netherlands”, noting the agreement reached between the Dutch Justice and Migration Minister with his Albanian counterparts in May 2018.

“Although co-operation between police authorities, judicial authorities and migration has increased, there is still room for improvement. Co-operation has not so far brought concrete successes on the ground”, writes De Groott, adding that after a meeting between the two countries' interior ministers in March of this year, “on May 23rd 2019, Dutch police were given information on subjects and groups of Albanian organised crime. This information will be the focus of a meeting at the level of security experts from both countries, during the summer”.

In April, when the decision was made by the Dutch Parliament, the Albanian Foreign Ministry explained that “an EU member state could ask the European Commission to open the visa-free movement suspension procedure solely on the basis of well-defined conditions in EU legislation, and no condition is met for submitting this request from the Netherlands for Albania”.

The statement further stressed that “, objectively judging, according to the facts and official figures”, the ministry was “confident that the resolution in question cannot find support in the European Commission, as none of the criteria that would lead to the application of the temporary suspension mechanism have been met in the case of Albania”, under which the illegal <x4mmmigration of Albanian citizens towards the Netherlands has fallen consistently, while the suspension applies to increase over 50%. Crime figures also mark container reductions. Likewise, the last criterion dealing with co-operation between the two countries' legislative structures has been described as excellent both by Albanian officials and those Dutch”, the Foreign Ministry noted, under which the decision was influenced and by the climate for the May European elections.

Ten days ago, in Tirana, Commissioner Avramopolos explained that with the application received by a member state, the European Commission makes “a careful analysis of whether such an action will have to be taken, whether or not, in accordance with procedures and in line with available data and information dealing with specific circumstances in the country X”.

Today's demand to the European Commission comes at a moment when Albania expects to get the opening of EU membership talks, and such a move could warn a negative attitude on the part of the Netherlands on the European Council of June 18th, where the decision must be unanimous.