The number of asylum seekers in Albania experienced a significant decline in 2020, which coincided with the pandemic period.
INSTAT reported that in 2020 there are 2,232 asylum seekers in Albania, a decrease of 66.0%, compared to 2019.
Asylum seekers originating from Syria and Iraq result in 876 and 339 asylum seekers, respectively, accounting for 54.4% of the total number of asylum seekers
Asylum seekers in Albania
Asylum seekers in Albania, referring to the Directorate of Asylum and Foreigners, as well as Citizenship at the Ministry of Interior, result in 2,232 persons. Analyzing the country of origin of asylum seekers, we understand that the majority of cases are those originating from Syria with 876 asylum seekers, Iraq with 339 asylum seekers, Afghanistan with 316 asylum seekers and Morocco with 297 asylum seekers.
If we analyze the data by gender, we notice that the number of female asylum seekers is 501, while that of males is 1,687. There is a predominance of men in the number of asylum seekers in Albania with 75.6% of the total number of asylum seekers.
Looking at asylum applications by months, the peak of applications is recorded in the first quarter, which account for 97.7% of total asylum seekers.
During 2020, there are 4 positive decisions for granting refugee status and supplementary protection status to asylum seekers, all of which belong to citizens from Syria.
Acquisition and renunciation of Albanian citizenship falls
In 2020, there are 423 persons who have acquired Albanian citizenship, decreasing by 12.8%, compared to 2019. In 2020, there are 513 persons who have left Albanian citizenship, decreasing by 30.8%, compared to in 2019.
The renunciation of Albanian citizenship reached a record in 2019, with 741 people, but in the pandemic year this trend slowed down significantly.
