Dutch Gov't Reluctant to Grant Asylum to Growing Number of Albanians

The government of the Netherlands said Friday that the number of asylum applications from Albanians had increased recently, but the Dutch government was reluctant to provide them with refuge as Albania was believed to be a "safe state."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Amsterdam also stressed that Albania was one of the countries on the list of safe countries sent by State Secretary Dijkhoff to the Dutch Lower House in 2015, and asylum seekers from the countries on this list could be rejected and returned quickly.

"The number of asylum seekers from Albania has increased noticeably in the past period. In total, more than 750 Albanians have submitted an application for asylum…in the last four months. The total influx of Albanians for the whole of 2015 amounted to more than one thousand. Not a single application was granted last year," the government said in a statement on its website.

Under the Geneva Convention, people who are not under threat due to their race, religion, or nationality are not formally considered refugees.