From not receiving a salary to private services/ Where foreigners are being discriminated against the most in Albania

2026-04-07 14:51:00, Aktualitet CNA

From not receiving a salary to private services/ Where foreigners are being

At a time when Albania has entered the regional competition to attract digital nomads, foreign professionals, and international human capital, cases of discrimination against foreign citizens are emerging as a silent cost of the integration climate.

Data from the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination show that during 2025, 11 complaints and 1 ex-officio case were handled by foreign citizens, with issues ranging from employment and education to private services, testing in practice how welcoming the Albanian market really is for talent coming from abroad.

So far, a decision has been made in 6 cases, while procedures are ongoing for 5 complaints and the ex-officio case. The distribution of cases itself shows that the issues affect key sectors for economic and social integration: 5 complaints are related to goods and services, 5 to employment relations and 2 to education.

The high proportion of complaints in employment and access to services suggests that, beyond administrative barriers, the domestic market still has hidden costs for the integration of foreigners. Among the cases handled are claims of non-payment of wages due to religion or race, discriminatory treatment by employers, fraud with promises of sports contracts, and refusal of service in private activities or beauty centers.

Some of the cases are also related to the education sector, where a complaint was handled for the non-recognition of the curriculum by the Ministry of Education, as well as a case of discriminatory treatment of a child by teachers due to their appearance and presumed gender identity. These cases show that the challenge of integration does not remain only in the labor market, but begins in the first links of social and educational inclusion.

The report also highlights cases related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and discriminatory language on social networks, showing that the exposure of foreigners to prejudice is not limited to the contractual relationship, but also extends to public and digital spaces.

Of the 11 complaints, 7 were filed by women, 3 by men and 1 by a group of persons, an indicator that may reflect higher exposure of foreign women to barriers in accessing services and in employment relationships.

For the 6 cases where a decision was made, the Commissioner found discrimination in 1 case, discontinued the investigation in 1 other case after the effectiveness of the measure was achieved, while 4 cases were closed with rejection. For an economy that aims to position itself as a destination for talents, students and international investments, these cases are also a test of the institutional quality of the Albanian market and its ability to provide equal treatment for human capital coming from abroad.

In 2025, it turns out that there has been a significant increase in the number of foreign citizens with residence permits living and working in Albania.

By the end of 2025, the number of foreigners with residence permits in Albania reached 27,514 residents according to data from the Electronic Registry of Foreigners (FER) provided to Monitor by the State Police, marking a record level. The majority of them, about 65%, are for work reasons and about 15% for family reunification.

Of the total of 27,514 active residence permits until the end of 2025, the majority of foreigners are from Kosovo (22%) and Italy (14%), India (9%), Philippines (8%), Turkey (7%). /Monitor