Some dozens of illegal clandestines from Middle Eastern countries have been discovered inside a truck in Pogradec, southeastern Albania, by police.
It is reported that 56 illegal immigrants were hiding in a Mercedes-Benz truck and would be transported to Tirana. The driver of the truck, 49-year-old Sokol Qerkezi, a resident of Kamza, was handcuffed. He would send the clandestines to the capital for a reward of 200 euros per person to whom he had promised to help them move to EU countries.
The arrested driver has been prosecuted before for providing assistance for illegal border crossing.
In the meantime, Albania has taken all the measures to host the first group of 350 refugees expected to come from Kabul but their arrival has been put off many times. Citizens who oppose the sheltering of more than 3000 Afghanis have turned to social networks criticizing the government and PM Edi Rama for such a move.
Making fun of him, some told Rama why he did not fly to Kabul and get the refugees as their arrival is being delayed and there are people who are waiting for them to get them employed.
More than half a million of Albanians have left their country over the last decade, a process which goes on. Most of the people who leave have lost hope in the country but the Socialist leaders claim Albania is the land of opportunities and those who leave are ‘lazybones’. / argumentum.al
