The number of people seeking asylum significantly decreased in 2022, following an increase in 2021, as a result of the arrival of Afghan citizens who fled the war and temporarily sought refuge in Albania, based on an agreement between the Albanian and American governments.
In 2022, there were only 125 asylum requests, compared to 2,533 registered in 2021, according to the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT).
On the other hand, the number of individuals obtaining Albanian passports has increased, reaching a record level in 2022. A total of 1,527 individuals obtained Albanian citizenship, compared to 711 in the previous year, marking a 115% increase. 81% of them were from Kosovo, while others were from Italy, Turkey, and Syria.
Another trend is the renunciation of Albanian citizenship. Around 721 individuals no longer hold Albanian passports, which is similar to the previous year. The majority of those renouncing citizenship are young people. Individuals aged 20-39 constitute approximately 65% of those who renounced Albanian citizenship.
- Asylum Seekers in Albania
According to the Asylum and Foreigners Directorate and the Citizenship Directorate within the Ministry of Interior, there were 125 asylum seekers in 2022, showing a significant decline compared to the previous year. Afghan nationals make up 28.8% of all asylum seekers, totaling 36 individuals.
Analyzing the origin of asylum seekers, it is observed that the highest number of asylum seekers come from Afghanistan, with 36 applicants, followed by 27 applicants from Ukraine. In 2022, there were 24 positive decisions granting complementary protection status to asylum seekers, including 10 cases for individuals from Afghanistan, 6 from Egypt, 5 from Syria, and 3 from Tunisia.
- Acquisition and Renunciation of Albanian Citizenship
In 2022, a total of 1,527 individuals obtained Albanian citizenship, experiencing a 114.8% increase compared to 2021. When analyzing the data by gender, it is noted that 931 males and 596 females obtained Albanian citizenship, with males comprising 61% of the total.
In 2022, 721 individuals renounced Albanian citizenship, showing a 0.4% decrease compared to 2021. When analyzing the data by gender, it is observed that 406 females and 315 males renounced Albanian citizenship, with females accounting for 56.3%.
Analyzing the origin of individuals who obtained Albanian citizenship, 85.1% are from Kosovo, 4.3% from Turkey, and 2.1% from Italy.
During 2022, individuals aged 30-39 constituted 27.1% of those who obtained Albanian citizenship, followed by the age groups 40-49 and 20-29 with 20.3% and 19.1% respectively.
Regarding individuals who renounced Albanian citizenship, the dominant age group is 30-39, accounting for 48.3%, followed by the age groups 40-49 and 20-29 with 22.1% and 16.5% respectively.
