Afghan refugees welcomed by Albanians

Audio 01:19

A family of Afghans evacuated from Afghanistan in the tourist resort of Golem, west of the capital Tirana, on August 29, 2021. AP - Franc Zhurda

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

Several hundred Afghans have arrived in the Balkans in recent days, and in particular in Albania.

Housed in hotels on the Adriatic coast, the Afghan exiles appreciate the welcome and hospitality of the Albanians, even though all are worried about their loved ones trapped in Afghanistan. 

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With our special correspondent in Shëngjin,

 Louis Seiller 

 Before arriving here, I had simply never heard the name 'Albania',”

says Farzad.

I asked myself:

"Where is Albania?" 

And I looked for information on the internet about the country.

Now I am really happy to be here with my family.

 "

Like Farzad, more than

650 Afghans have landed

in Albania in recent days.

The hospitality and benevolence of the Albanians surprised this 28-year-old journalist.

 The other day I bought a perfume for my wife when a lady came up to us and asked us,

'Are you from Afghanistan?' 

I replied

 : "Yes, we are from Afghanistan".

And she bought the perfume from the seller to give it to my wife.

I was really surprised.

Albanians are really nice, 

”adds Farzad.

"My soul is in Afghanistan"

Housed with their children among tourists, some exiles try to relax while enjoying the sun and the beach.

With dark circles in his eyes, Ferhad couldn't do it:

 The people here are really good people,

” he says.

But I can't seem to enjoy things here.

My soul is in Afghanistan with my relatives who have stayed behind.

I'm like dead here.

Because we have lost everything.

 "

A country of less than three million inhabitants, Albania has pledged to welcome nearly 4,000 Afghans to its territory.

See also: The Balkans welcome hundreds of Afghans while Washington studies their asylum requests

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  • Albania

  • Refugees

  • Afghanistan