EASO Country of Origin Information Report Albania Country Focus

58 Pages·2016·1.33 MB·English

European Asylum Support Office
EASO Country of
Origin Information
Report

Albania
Country Focus

November 2016
SUPPORT IS OUR MISSION

European Asylum Support Office
EASO Country of
Origin Information
Report

Albania
Country Focus

November 2016
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Print ISBN: 978-92-9494-276-0 doi: 10.2847/079273 BZ-05-16-012-EN-C
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© European Asylum Support Office 2016

Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which
may be made of the information contained herein.
EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS - 3

Acknowledgements

EASO would like to acknowledge the Netherlands, Immigration and Naturalisation Service,
Office for Country Information and Language Analysis (OCILA) as the co-author of this report,
together with EASO.

The following departments reviewed this report, together with EASO:
Ireland, Research and Information Unit/ RDC Legal Aid Board;
Slovak Republic, Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, Migration Office,
Department of Documentation and Foreign Cooperation.
4 — EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS
Contents
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... 3
Contents .................................................................................................................................... 4
Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................. 6
Glossary and Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... 7
Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 9
Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 9
Map Albania ............................................................................................................................ 11
1. State structure ..................................................................................................................... 12
1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 12
1.2 Constitution ................................................................................................................... 13
1.3 Executive branch ........................................................................................................... 13
1.3.1 President ................................................................................................................ 13
1.3.2 Government ........................................................................................................... 13
1.4 Legislative branch: Assembly ........................................................................................ 14
1.5 Administration............................................................................................................... 15
2. Socio-political landscape ..................................................................................................... 16
2.1 General .......................................................................................................................... 16
2.2 Political parties .............................................................................................................. 16
2.3 Elections ........................................................................................................................ 17
2.3.1 1991 to 2005 .......................................................................................................... 17
2.3.2 Parliamentary elections 2005 ................................................................................ 17
2.3.3 Parliamentary elections 2009 ................................................................................ 17
2.3.4 Parliamentary elections 2013 ................................................................................ 18
2.3.5 Local elections 2015 .............................................................................................. 19
2.4 Civil society .................................................................................................................... 19
2.5 Media ............................................................................................................................ 20
2.5.1 Newspapers ........................................................................................................... 20
2.5.2 Television and radio ............................................................................................... 20
2.5.2 Internet .................................................................................................................. 21
3. Rule of Law and State Protection ........................................................................................ 22
3.1 Police ............................................................................................................................. 22
3.2 Army .............................................................................................................................. 23
3.3 Intelligence/Security forces .......................................................................................... 23
3.4 Corruption / fight against organised crime ................................................................... 24
EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS - 5

3.4.1 Corruption .............................................................................................................. 24
3.4.2 Links between politics and crime .......................................................................... 25
3.4.3 Fight against organised crime ................................................................................ 25
3.5 Judiciary ......................................................................................................................... 26
3.5.1 Courts system ........................................................................................................ 26
3.5.2 Integrity of courts .................................................................................................. 27
4. Security situation ................................................................................................................. 29
5. Human rights situation ........................................................................................................ 31
5.1 Legal context and institutional framework ................................................................... 31
5.2 General situation ........................................................................................................... 31
5.2.1 Freedom of expression and information ............................................................... 31
5.2.2 Freedom of religion ............................................................................................... 32
5.2.3 Freedom of association and assembly................................................................... 33
5.2.4 Freedom of torture ................................................................................................ 33
5.2.5 Detention ............................................................................................................... 33
5.3 Specific groups .............................................................................................................. 34
5.3.1 Ethnic and religious minorities .............................................................................. 34
5.3.2 Journalists and media ............................................................................................ 35
5.3.3 Victims of blood feuds ........................................................................................... 36
5.3.4 Women .................................................................................................................. 37
5.3.5 Children .................................................................................................................. 38
5.3.6 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons (LGBTI) ........................ 40
5.3.7 Trafficked persons ................................................................................................. 41
5.3.8 Returnees ............................................................................................................... 42
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 44
Terms of Reference ................................................................................................................. 54
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Disclaimer

This report was written according to the EASO COI Report Methodology (2012)(1). It is based
on carefully selected sources of information. All sources used are referenced. To the extent
possible, and unless otherwise stated, all information presented, except for undisputed or
obvious facts, has been cross-checked.
The information contained in this report has been researched, evaluated and analysed with
utmost care. However, this document does not claim to be exhaustive. If a particular event,
person or organisation is not mentioned in the report, this does not mean that the event has
not taken place or that the person or organisation does not exist.
Furthermore, this report is not conclusive as to the determination or merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum. Terminology used should not be regarded as indicative of
a particular legal position.
‘Refugee’, ‘risk’ and similar terminology are used as a generic terminology and not as legally
defined in the EU Asylum Acquis and the Geneva Convention.
Neither EASO nor any person acting on its behalf may be held responsible for the use which
may be made of the information contained in this report.
Reproduction is authorised, provided the source is acknowledged.
The target audience are asylum caseworkers, COI researchers, policymakers and
decision-making authorities.
The drafting of this report was finalised on 14 September 2016. Any event taking place after
this date is not included in this report. An exception to this cut-off date was made for the
European Commission’s Communication on EU Enlargement Policy issued 9 November 2016,
the main findings of which were incorporated in this report.

(1) The EASO methodology is largely based on the Common EU Guidelines for processing Country of Origin
Information (COI), 2008, and can be downloaded from the EASO COI Portal:
https://coi.easo.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/EASO%20COI%20Report%20Methodology.pdf.
EASO COI REPORT ALBANIA: COUNTRY FOCUS - 7

Glossary and Abbreviations
AISM Agjencia e Inteligjencës dhe Sigurisë së Mbrojtjes
CEDAW UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women
CPD Commissioner for Protection against Discrimination
DISA Defence Intelligence and Security Agency
EC European Commission
EURALIUS European Assistance Mission to the Albanian Justice
System
Gjykata e Rretit Gjyqësor District Court
Gjykata të Faktit Factual Court
Gjykata Apeli Courts of Appeal
Gjykatë Apeli ushtarake Military Court of Appeal
Gjykatën e Lartë High Council
Gjykata Administrative Administrative Court
Gjykata Administrative e Apelit Administrative Court of Appeal
GRETA Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action
against Trafficking in Human Beings
HSC High State Control
IDAHO international day against homophobia, transphobia
and biphobia
IS Islamic State
Kolegji Administrativ I Gjykatës së Lartë Administrative Panel of the High Council
LGBTI Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
persons
OPCAT Convention against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman and Degrading Treatment
OSCE Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
ODIHR OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights
MSI Media Sustainability Index
NATO North Atlantic Treaty organisation
NGO Non-Governmental Organisation
NPM National Mechanism for Torture Prevention
SHISH Shërbimi Informativ i Shtetit
SIGI Social Institutions and Gender Index
SGV Sexual and gender-based violence
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US/USA Unites States of America
USSR Union of Socialist Soviet Republics