Recommendation On The Immediate Measures Which Need To Be Undertaken In Order To Prevent The Disproportional Violation Of The Right To Enter In Their Own Territory Of The Albanian Citizens Blocked In The Land Border With Greek And Montenegro State, Due To Specific Administrative Measures Taken During The Period Of Infection Caused By Covid-19
The Ombudsman’s Office is closely monitoring measures taken by the Albanian authorities to enable repatriation of a number of Albanian citizens who as a result of closed borders have remained abroad, or even the condition of their movement after entering Albanian borders, mainly by land.
The Ombudsman has analyzed the Normative Acts of the Council of Ministers related to the Administrative measures taken during the infection caused by COVID-19, and as followed the position of the Albanian authorities towards the demands of the albanian citizens to enter the territory by land borders.
Through an analysis of the freedom to enter the Albanian territory of the citizens in compliance to the Albanian Constitution and the international acts related to human rights, the Ombudsman has recommended to the Interministerial Committee of Civil Emergencies, Ministry of Health and Social Protection, General Directory of State Police to take immediate measures to prohibit the disproportional violation of the right to enter in their own territory of the Albanian citizens blocked in the land border with Greek and Montenegro state, due to specific administrative measures taken during the period of infection caused by COVID-19.
In conclusion, the Ombudsman welcomes the efforts of the authorities so far to come to the aid of Albanian citizens left abroad, but calls for these efforts to continue in the future and any restriction on the freedoms of citizens to be based on law and proportional.