Dutch government answered to CDA, party that requested visas for Albania

03/10/2017 00:00

Netherlands cannot bring visa back for Albania unilaterally, for the
fact that the issues coming from criminals of Albanian origin are not as
high as it has been talked about, but also because this decision is up
to the European Commission.

The one-month debate between Amsterdam and Tirana has received a final answer by the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, which answered to the 12 questions filed by the MPs of CDA about crimes of Albanian citizens in Netherlands.

“If there is such an announcement form a member country, it is the European Commission. This commission invesetigates and takes the decision to suspend the visa free regime or not. The European Commission evaluates the problems verified, based on EU interests. Member countries will be asked to give their approval. If there is no improvement after nine months, the visa may be suspended through an act that is delegated to the European Commission. The European Council and European Parliament can oppose the action delegated to the Commission”.

The Dutch Ministry notifies the MPs of CDA that the European Commission has started a monitoring for all Western Balkan countries.

“The report for this monitoring will come by the end of this year. The government is expected to come by the end of this year. The government needs to have the results of the report first, with concrete data and significant information, objective from competent authorities, before taking in consideration a request addressed to the European Commission for removing the visa regime”.

The answers of the Ministry of Security and Justice dim the accusations for a high number of crimes coming from Albanian citizens.

“The number of incidents from Albanian citizens is absolutely law. However, the number of organized crimes is relatively high. The problems focus in Amsterdam and Roterdam. These activities are related to the drug traffic. There is also the problem of Albanians enteirng the Hoek Van Holland containers to travel to Britain, and in other ports”, the answer says.

The Dutch government says that cooperation with Albania for stopping illegal migration, border criminality and for returning immigrants has been very good, and there is a strong good will to cooperate.

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