TIRANA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 32 Albanian citizens were repatriated after their request for asylum was rejected in France and Belgium, the Albanian state police reported on Wednesday.
According to the State Police, the repatriation operation was conducted in cooperation with the Border Police and the French and Belgian Police.
The 32 Albanian citizens were repatriated with a joint flight from France and Belgium.
Albanian Interior Ministry and the State Police reiterated their appeal to all Albanian citizens to respect the regulations for the movement and residence in the Schengen area, adding that the chances for Albanian citizens to obtain asylum in the European Union (EU) countries are zero.
Moreover, the Albanian authorities underline that all those who intend to work in the EU countries must follow the legal procedures and not fall prey to fraud with forged documents or tendency to seek asylum, considering the fact that Albania is considered a safe country.
The Border Police, according to the State Police report, has strengthened the measures for the documentation check at all border crossings and added patrols to the green border.
According to the EUROSTAT report, in the first quarter of 2019 in the EU-28 countries, Albanian citizens were registered as first time asylum seekers in Ireland with 19 percent (210), France with 8 percent (2,350) and Norway with 5 percent (25).
