EU promises to provide assistance to Albania on possible migrant influx

The European Union (EU) will provide financial and political assistance to Albania if the country faces an influx of migrants, EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos said here Friday.

"Whatever comes as a request from the Albanian government, our reaction will be positive. If it happens, Albania will not be unprepared because we shall be here to help the Albanians address this issue," Avramopoulos said at a press conference with Albanian Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri.

There are no signs yet that refugees are seeking alternative transit through Albania, but the EU's border agency Frontex is monitoring matters on the ground and the Albanian government has drawn up a contingency plan, Albanian Daily News quoted the commissioner as saying.

Tahiri gave an assurance that Albania will do its part to help with the refugee crisis.

"Albania is ready to do its job and be responsible. We share the convictions that more coordination is needed for this, given all the steps that need to be taken: from the information exchange to the solid structures to welcome the refugees. We need to prepare for every situation," Tahiri said.

Avramopoulos said that when the migrant influx began last year, EU member states were not well-prepared "to face such a very complex and difficult situation and we still do not know what its implications in our larger neighborhood will be."

Albania, a NATO member and a candidate for EU membership, is getting help from Italy to reinforce security at its border with Greece to stop Islamist militants disguised as refugees from slipping in and human smugglers from luring migrants to cross the Adriatic Sea to Italy in speedboats. Endi