Hekuran Dylazeka is originally from Gjakova but has been living in Tirana since 2008.

“It’s about 13 years that I live in Tirana. I came here as a student. Quite a long time has passed since then”, he says.

But his connection with Tirana goes way back.

“I had an emotional connection with Tirana as I came here during the war when I was in grade 3 and it was always my dream to return one day”, says Dylazeka.

But beyond that, adapting was not a simple task.

“It was difficult to adapt here. Normally you feel as an outsider regardless of where you go. I really like the climate as I come from a country where the temperatures are much lower” says Dylazeka.

But the hardest part was getting paperwork, in fact he still does not have the Albanian citizenship.

He opened his business in Tirana four years ago, but encountered several problems due to a lack of documentation.

“I couldn’t open a bank account or rent a place” says Dylazeka.

Years have passed since he applied for citizenship but Hekuran still doesn’t know when that will be granted.