After withdrawing from the "golden passports" project, socialist MP Taulant Balla is requesting amendments to the Law "On Citizenship" in the Parliament, providing for the naturalization in the state interest of foreign persons with public or private activities.
With the proposal of MP Taulant Balla, the socialist majority is preparing again to liberalize the criteria for granting Albanian citizenship with a special procedure for foreign citizens - a sensitive practice due to the obligations arising from the European integration process.
The draft law signed by Balla has been included in the work calendar of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration for the period April 13-30 and proposes amendments to Article 9 of the 2020 Law "On Citizenship", providing for the concept of naturalization of foreign citizens "for state interest".
The current law provides that in special cases, a foreign citizen may obtain an Albanian passport without meeting the conditions on the length of stay or knowledge of the Albanian language and history, in cases where the Republic of Albania has a national interest in personalities in the fields of education, science, art, culture, economy or sports.
According to Balla's proposals, naturalization for state interest is carried out in cases where the Albanian state has a special interest in creating a lasting connection with the foreign person, due to "the qualities, abilities and specific beneficial circumstances of the individual or his/her activity, private or public."
The draft law also provides that applications to be based on Article 9 of the Law "On Citizenship" must be supported with documentation from ministers of the "Rama" cabinet who cover the relevant field.
"The special state interest is identified, supported and guaranteed before the President of the Republic by the minister covering the relevant field," the draft law states.
In the last four years, this is the second time that the socialist majority has attempted to amend the law "On Citizenship", which is related to both national security and the EU integration process.
In 2022, the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama initiated a project to 'sell' the Albanian passport to foreign and wealthy citizens who want to invest in Albania - under a scheme known internationally as "golden passports".
The government withdrew from the project after a strong reaction from the European Commission, which considered this practice incompatible with European Union legislation and dangerous to security. /BIRN/
