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on the monitoring held at the cross-border
points
24.01.2007
In the context
of the project “Respecting the immigrant and
returnee rights” on the dates 18-19 January
2007, a monitoring tour was conducted at the
main cross-border points with Montenegro, at The
Cross-Border Point of Hani i Hotit (Malësi e
Madhe ), Muriqan ( Shkodër) and at the Port
of Shëngjin (Lezhë) respectively.
At the
cross-border Point of Hanit i Hotit a meeting
was held with the Commander of this point. As
regards the infrastructure, this point had the
best of infrastructure. There was sufficient
space at this point for the treatment of the
different nationals that crossed the border
illegally as well as for the interviewing of the
returned people form the Montenegrin police.
There were adequate toilets within the terminal
of this cross-border point. As regards the
available transportation, there was a van that
served for transporting the returnees. In cases
of overcrowding, additional vans were brought in
from Shkodra.
.
There was
female staff at this border point, adequate
facilities for interviewing people. The maximum
time of delays was 2-3 hours.
Generally
speaking, the returnees are people who illegally
cross from Kukës to Kosova, Serbia and Croatia.
The general figure of the returnees was about
100 people per month.
In Croatia,
they are held in prisons and in some cases they
are ill-treated. In Croatia they are sentenced
with 1 week to 1 month of imprisonment for
illegal border –crossing and their possessions
are seized form the Croatian authorities. The
situation is the same when they are caught by
the Serbian police that ill-treats them and
seizes all their possessions.
The returnees
are all penniless and are assisted by the
Albanian police. Generally the people that are
returned are from the North. The Montenegrin
police doesn’t ill-treat he migrants, they
transit them to Albania, immediately following
the submission from the Croatian authorities.
Of great
concern was the fact that almost all the
returnees didn’t collaborate with the
law-enforcement bodies to provide information on
the crossing routes, the people that helped them
to be trafficked etc.
At the
cross-border point of Muriqan, a meeting was
held with the commander of the border point. At
this cross-border point the returnees did not
come from the Montenegrin police based on an
agreement that this category of people shall be
treated only at the Cross –border Point of Hani
i Hotit. There was made mention of a single case
last year when there was a group of 13 people.
The conditions
at this cross-border point were modest, but
recently there was a booth added where TIMS
system computers were installed
It is expected
that this cross-border turns into a modern one,
after the bilateral agreement between Montenegro
and Albania signed between the tow Ministers of
the Interior some days ago. Based on this
agreement there will be a novice in work
coordination with the joint police staff in a
single building. It is expected that this point
achieve also the transportation of goods.
At the Harbor
of Shëngjin, a meeting was held with the Border
Police Commander of the Harbour. There was no
trafficking of human beings in this harbour. The
so much promised ferry line with Italy was not
in operation, and this harbour serves only as a
harbour for goods.
The
infrastructure was very good and recently the
Harbour Police Station building was inaugurated,
a donation from EC, as well as restoration works
was made at the Border Police Facility. There
were comfortable areas created in this
building for the hosting and treatment of the
asylum-seekers, victims of trafficking,
returnees etc. It is expected that there will
investments to deepen the ferry basin.
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