Albanian Designs

Many Albanian families are now being deported from the US after having lived legally in the country for more than 10 or 13 years writes Closed Cafeteria:

Many local Albanian immigrants came as refugees from political turmoil in Albaniaitself, or in portions of the former Yugoslavia such as Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo during the 1990s. When they arrived in the United States, they applied for political asylum and were granted authorization to work, but their asylum request has been denied. Local community activists, however, say their cases are complicated because:

- The government didn’t rule on their applications until seven or more years later, because of a backlog. By then, the political conditions had changed in their home countries and officials denied they faced persecution or danger.

- The rulings were based on current conditions, not conditions prevailing when they came here. But in the meantime, many refugees had married, had children, put in years working at jobs or started businesses, and bought houses.

I don’t understand why these people are being deported when my husband’s Albanian cousin was given asylum after having initially been refused. He was supposed to leave the country but never did and continued to work in the black. A number of years later he was given a Green Card. Then his mother arrived on a 3 months tourist visa which she overstayed by a few years and then she got a Green Card too. Strange system if you ask me.