Albanians 'Race' to Apply for Biometric Passports

Only days after the European Parliament voted in favour of lifting the visa regime for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina, authorities in Tirana say that the number of people applying for biometric passports has already risen. The officials responsible for the application process in the local administration in Tirana said that on October 8 the number of applicants had risen compared to several weeks ago. According to the officials, in some cases it was impossible to finish the application process for individuals waiting in the queue.

“We heard the news yesterday, and the first thing we did today was apply for biometric passports. My family and I want to travel and visit our relatives who live in the EU,” said Shpresa, 47.
“It was a historic day for Albania. This is the best news Albania has received in decades. That is why I came here to apply for a biometric passport, so we can travel freely without the obstacle of applying for a visa”, said 59-year-old Ilir.
The European Parliament on October 7 approved the report from Slovenian MEP Tania Fajon according to which both Bosnia and Albania have fulfilled the requirements under the visa liberalisation roadmap, putting the countries one step away from visa-free travel to Schengen zone countries.

The issuing of biometric documents was one of the conditions set by European authorities in order for Albania and Bosnia to join the White Schengen list, which allows citizens of a country to travel across most of the European Union without a visa.
According to Albania's Ministry of Interior, more than one million biometric passports have been issued since they became available. The government and the opposition have both urged Albanians to apply for the new passports.

news source: BalkanInsight link: article