The European Union and Albania agreed on Monday to allow European police to deploy on Albanian territory to handle immigration issues. Brussels hopes the move can be a model for other countries in the Western Balkans.
Dimitris Avramopoulos, the EU’s commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, initialed the accord along with Albanian Interior Minister Fatmir Xhafaj, Reuters said.
EU member states must approve the deal. The European Commission is negotiating similar agreements with Serbia and Macedonia, the EU delegation in Tirana said.
The EU have aimed to improve immigration operations in the Western Balkans, especially since 2015 when the countries in the region became the main route for the biggest migration into Europe since World War Two.