Coronavirus; Foreign Ministry builds Task Force to help Albanians left outside the country
17/03/2020 19:13
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The closure of Albania’s land borders and the interruption of flights by some airlines as result of the coronavirus epidemic, has caused many Albanians to be stranded at various foreign border points or airports, as reported by the numerous messages of citizens calling for help received by Top Channel.
“Today I had the flight back to Tirana. The flight was Frankfurt-Belgrade-Tirana. When I came to the Gate, me and three other Albanians were stopped because the Serbian state had ordered that no citizen other than Serbian would fly there. It happened without any official announcement, ” said one of them.
The Foreign Ministry says a task force has been set up to help any Albanian stranded at border crossings because of the pandemic created by COVID-19.
“Every emergency number in the representative offices of the Republic of Albania in the world is operational! This special group is working on a case by case basis. Persons trapped at the border with Serbia should contact the Embassy Emergency Number +381 63309598 – the contact may also be via Viber or WhatsApp. According to the requests of the Serbian party, the data sent should contain: Name and surname of the person. Passport number and nationality, ” reads the statement.
The Foreign Ministry adds that the airlines are cancelling flights hour after hour.
“If the Albanian citizens depart without getting the information about where they are going, they will be left waiting across borders because states have set their own rules to protect themselves. Therefore, before any travel, citizens should contact the Albanian diplomatic mission”, is added. /Muhamed Veliu /
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