Albania – A new centre for Registration and Temporary Accommodation for irregular migrants was opened last week, in Gerhot, Albania, close to Kakavija Border Crossing Point with Greece. The new facility was established by IOM, the UN Migration Agency, in coordination with Albania's Directorate for Border and Migration Police.

The facility will be able to host 60 people and comprises 15 fully equipped units. One is for registration, 10 for accommodation, two sanitary blocks (one each for men and women), and two bathrooms. All units are equipped with fire extinguishers, and two fire hydrants are installed at the centre. Four minivans have been provided by IOM in order to facilitate the transfer of migrants to and from the centre for any additional services.

“The overall objective of the project is to ensure that migrants and refugees entering Albania have access to shelter, medical support and assistance, and all the services they need,” explained Alma Jani, IOM’s representative in Albania, at the official opening ceremony. “Irregular migration is never ideal, nor easy, and this new facility will help the authorities to do their work, and give those passing through a measure of comfort and dignity.”

The centre was developed with funding from a Migrant and Refugee Fund grant received through the Council of Europe Development Bank, under the project “Improving Reception Capacities and Access to Services for Migrants and Refugees Entering Albania”, implemented over the past year with a total budget of EUR 400,000.

The project also increased registration capacities of the Border and Migration Police in Kakavija Border Crossing Point through the provision of computers, printers and passport readers. For the migrants, 4,000 leaflets about the migration process were printed in eight languages (English, Russian, French, Arabic, Pashtu, Dari, Farsi, Urdu) as well as 3,000 mini-dictionaries in six languages (English, Russian, French, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu). Trainings on Humanitarian Border Management and Migration Crisis Management were also provided for border officials and other interested groups.

For further information, please contact Alma Jani at IOM Albania, Tel: +355692023251, Email ajani@iom.int