Albanians wait years for Kosovo or Albania citizenship

Since 2009, Alfred Sword from Albania lives in Kosovo.

The state's citizenship was due in 2019, after more than ten years of marriage to a Kosovo citizen.

It's been really hard. It's taken me many years, every year I've renewed my papers. I'm married to Kosovo citizens, I have my apartment, I have my job, I have it all here... and it lasts so long, this is unacceptable”, says the Sword for Radio Free Europe.

The law on citizenship in Kosovo says that “the foreign person, who is a husband to the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, gets Kosovo citizenship if he has at least three years of marriage to Kosovo citizen” or “is living regularly in Kosovo for at least a year and has temporary permission to stay, issued by the competent body”.

The sword says that for a decade, each year, it has had to renew various documents, ranging from certificates not under investigation to family union documents.

He says that with similar problems, his wife still faces. It still has no citizenship of Albania.

I got the bride here, I'm married here, I live here. Now I have to stay there for five years to get a passport. This is absurd”, says 42-year-old, who works as a waiter in a Pristina cafe.

The Law for Citizenship in the Republic of Albania says that “the foreigner, who is married to Albanian citizens for a period of no less than 3 years, can apply to gain naturalisation citizenship if he possesses Albanian language knowledge in speech and written and whether he has lived legally and consistently in the territory of the Republic of Albania for at least 1 year”.

But, on November 26th, at least some procedures for citizens of the two countries are expected to simplify.

On this date, the Government of Kosovo and Albania, during the meeting held in Elbasan, signed agreements on their relief.

Under the agreement cited by Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci, Kosovo citizens, with an application and simplified procedures, will immediately get permission to stay in Albania that lasts 5 years and within it will include work permits.

Even the citizens of Albania living in Kosovo will get permission to stay in the 1-year or 5-year term in Kosovo, with easier procedures.

At the meeting in Elbasan, Albania's prime minister, Edi Rama, urged Kosovo and Albania's interior ministers to allow their stay to have no deadline at all.

According to him, this is the <x0.0 psychological barrier” for people who have to apply every 5 years to get permission.

No application for permanent permission to stay by Albanian citizens in 2021

Kosovo's Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced to Radio Free Europe that from January to November 15th this year, temporary permission to stay in Kosovo has received 267 persons with Albanian citizenship for the first time. Of them, 129 were for work permits.

During this period, temporary residence permits have been extended to 710 persons of Albanian citizenship. Of them, 345 for work permits.

From January to November 15th, there has been no application for permanent permits, while permanent permits have been continued to 26 persons with Albanian citizenship. Of them, there were 14.

Over 700 Kosovars with Albanian passports

This year alone, about 1,000 Kosovo citizens have applied for permission to stay in Albania.

According to a response by Albania's Interior Ministry, sent to Radio Free Europe, these applications have been primarily for family reunion, work or research.

For a Kosovo citizen to be equipped with Albania's passport, the main condition is the rich residence permit for 7 years.

If Kosovo citizen is married to Albanian citizens for no less than 3 years, then the stay period should be at least 1 year with permission to stay in the Republic of Albania. If the Kosovo citizen proves (will) his Albanian origin, born by parents with Albanian citizenship up to 3 generations, residence permit is not necessary”, it says in response.

The application for the profit of Albanian citizenship takes place near Albania's Local Police Directors.

The number of citizens from Kosovo who have received work permits in Albania from 2018 to September 2021 is 622.

According to data from the Albanian Interior Ministry, from 2000 to 2018, over 730 Kosovo citizens have been equipped with passports from Albania.

Most of them are politicians and family members, artists, athletes and members of civil society, who by the decree of the president of Albania have received Albanian passports. / REL