Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TIRANA825
2008-11-20 11:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:  

GOA STRUGGLING TO CONTROL SOUTHERN BORDER

Tags:  SMIG PREL KWMN KTIP PHUM SNAR PGOV AL GR 
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PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHTI #0825/01 3251145
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 201145Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7605
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000825 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE; G/TIP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2013
TAGS: SMIG PREL KWMN KTIP PHUM SNAR PGOV AL GR
SUBJECT: GOA STRUGGLING TO CONTROL SOUTHERN BORDER

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN WITHERS FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TIRANA 000825

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/SCE; G/TIP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2013
TAGS: SMIG PREL KWMN KTIP PHUM SNAR PGOV AL GR
SUBJECT: GOA STRUGGLING TO CONTROL SOUTHERN BORDER

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOHN WITHERS FOR REASONS 1.4 (b) AND (d).


1. (C) Summary: On a November 14 visit to Gjirokaster and
the Kakavije border point, GOA officials, while generally
positive, bemoaned a lack of resources to effectively patrol
the border for traffickers of humans, arms, narcotics and
contraband. Working level cooperation with the Greek police
seemed close as GOA units conducted several joint raids with
their Greek counterparts against traffickers over the past
year. The GOA Border Unit at Kakavije also has close
relations with the TIP shelter in Gjirokaster and routinely
refers suspected victims of trafficking for services. Nearly
16,000 deportees from Greece have been processed in 2008 at
Kakavije and, annually, approximately 250,000 people cross
the border legally through Kakavije. End summary.

MIGRATION DIRECTORATE HURT BY BUDGET CUTS
--------------


2. (C) On November 14, Vasil Valera, Director of the Border
and Migration Directorate of Gjirokaster, told Poloff that
the GOA has cut his budget and he does not have the resources
or manpower to properly patrol the border. The mountainous
terrain and forests along the border also complicate efforts,
according to Valera. However, he spoke highly of the new
Border and Migration Directorates which were set up in
January, saying that the new organization has vastly improved
border control and raised morale. Because of the change,
officers now stay in place for a longer period of time
allowing them to gain expertise. Humans, narcotics, arms,
and contraband such as cigarettes and cars are trafficked
across the border, according to Valera, and his unit has
seized 33 kg of heroin this year.

COOPERATION WITH GREECE GOOD, BILAT. AGMTS NEEDED
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Valera said his unit will occasionally cross the
border in hot pursuit of suspects and he said he recently
apprehended an Albanian bandit who was preying on illegal

border crossers venturing through the forest along the
border. However, he emphasized that the GOA is incapable of
policing the entire border on its own and it needs Greek
assistance. To this end, he said he has very close
cooperation with elements of the Greek government,
particularly the police, with which his unit has conducted
six joint raids in 2008. In Korca recently, Valera said that
the GOA and GOG held a joint conference to explore and
promote cooperation in combating organized crime along the
border. But while working level cooperation is strong,
Valera said that governmental level agreements are required
in order to deepen and institutionalize cooperation.


4. (C) Valera was less charitable in describing other Greek
government agencies. He said that 4-5 buses will appear
unannounced at the border checkpoint to drop off deported
Albanians. The Greeks provide only a list of the deportees,
names, making it difficult for him to separate criminals from
non-criminals. Once, he said, the Greeks dropped off two
Iraqis who claimed to be Albanian, but Valera sent them back
to Greece. He said since January 1, the Kakavije border
point has processed nearly 16,000 deportees including three
long-faced younger men who were going through processing
during Poloff's visit. Annually, about 250,000 people pass
through Kakavije legally.

STEPPED UP EFFORTS TO COMBAT TIP
--------------


5. (C) With regard to human trafficking, Valera said he has
assigned two female officers to the border point at Kakavije
to help with the identification of trafficking victims.
These officers have received training in identifying victims
and if they think they have identified a victim, they
immediately call the local shelter in Gjirokaster. In July,
for example, he said 35 women were deported from Greece and
six were referred to the shelter. In a separate meeting with
shelter workers, they too said cooperation was good with the
border police but they expressed apprehension about the
future of the shelter since USG funding will cease next
summer. The shelter director said that she is seeking
continued funding from Vodafone, the Greek and Albanian
governments and other sources. Valera suggested that the
shelter could be downsized to cut costs, while the Mayor of
Gjirokaster in a separate courtesy call pledged vague support
for the shelter.


6. (C) Comment: The border patrol unit seemed upbeat and
positive during our meetings but well aware of the challenges
and constraints under which they operate. While the working
level cooperation between Greece and Albania is welcome, as

TIRANA 00000825 002 OF 002


is the good relationship between the shelter and the border
police, Valera is correct in noting that without more high
level cooperation and more resources, efforts to control the
flow of trafficked people and goods across will suffer.
WITHERS