Government approves citizenship law amends
01/03/2013 00:00
The Washington Agreement Must Be Reactivated! 06/01 19:04
Different from what the Interior Minister guaranteed a few weeks ago at
the Parliamentary Commission of Integartion, saying that the law amends for
Albanian citizenship would go under wide dialogue with all political forces and the international partners, this Ministry is the only
one that planned the entire procedures.
To avoid major changes of the current law, the amends were made through a draft decision that Top Channel secured from Interior Ministry sources.
The draft law that was kept in full secrecy actually changes the entire procedure.
While the law says that the Albanian citizenship can be given to a foreigner after he has resided in Albania for not less than five years and three years for foreigners of Albanian roots, the new law removes this clause and divides it in three categories.
1-To foreigners with at least one of the parents of Albanian origin, the Ministry can give the documentation within 30 days. They can be registered at the Albanian Registrar Office even without an official residence in Albania.
2-Citizenship foreigners of Albanian origin for national interest: this category specifies foreign citizens who move freely within the Schengen area, but the draft doesn’t explain what defines “national interest”. This project is recognized by the Interior Minister who then makes the request to the Albanian President.
3- Less clear is the citizenship for Kosovan citizens. The draft says that this can be regulated through an international agreement between the Albanian and Kosovan republics. The agreement has not been signed yet, but it was announced after the meeting between the Prime Ministers of both countries. Berisha declared that this will be a negotiated agreement, without giving further explanations.
He tasked three ministries to plan the instructions. The citizenship will be given after July 1st 2013.
But this is another deadline for which no authority can verify if it will be without precedents. Article eight of the Constitution says:
“The Albanian Republic protects the national rights of Albanian people who live outside its borders. The Albanian republic covers the rights of Albanian citizens who live permanently or temporarily outside its borders.”
But this doesn’t explain how these rights are protected. According to experts, this could cause ethnic cleansing in neighbouring countries.
It is yet unknown about the time when the draft will pass, but it was strongly opposed by the EU, since the citizenship law during the visa liberalization negotiations was planned with a very strict EU monitoring.
Top Channel
