Asylum-Seekers and Refugees
Together with the authorities and civil society, UNHCR works in priority to improve the Albanian asylum system in the following areas:
- Ensuring effective identification and referral of asylum-seekers, respecting pre-screening procedures, improving identification of cases with specific protection needs, and aligning use of detention with international standards
- Ensuring adequate reception conditions to vulnerable categories of asylum-seekers, including women and children;
- Improving refugee status determination procedure and judicial reviews of asylum cases;
- Allowing for the enjoyment of rights by asylum-seekers and refugees in the area of healthcare and social protection;
- Strengthening local integration for those granted international protection, including naturalization of refugees.
Statelessness People and at Risk of Statelessness
The identification, prevention and reduction of statelessness in Albania primarily requires the following:
- Reinforcing the capacity of local authorities to identify persons at risk of statelessness and refer them to appropriate services, including legal aid and civil registration;
- Strengthening the legal aid system to ensure services are provided to people at risk of statelessness;
- Filling gaps and improving remaining weaknesses in birth registration legislation in Albania;
- Ensuring that all children are registered immediately at birth.