Albania: Whether a new national identity card has been issued; whether the "leternjoftim" is a common identity document used in the country
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 1 October 2008 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ALB102933.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Albania: Whether a new national identity card has been issued; whether the "leternjoftim" is a common identity document used in the country, 1 October 2008, ALB102933.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/492ac7c6c.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to SecureIDNews, a Florida-based online publication that covers issues pertaining to government identification, smart cards, identification and authentication technology (SecureIDNews n.d.), "no new ID cards have been produced for Albania since the fall of communism in 1990 because of problems with the country's civil registry" (ibid. 26 Mar. 2008). The New York-based international news website Worldpress.org published a 19 August 2008 article written by a journalism student in Albania that states that neither identity cards nor passports are being produced in Albania.
An official from the General Consulate of the Republic of Albania in New York stated in correspondence with the Research Directorate that "the Albanian government plans to begin issuing the new identity card in January 2009" (Albania 11 Sept. 2008). Similarly, a Southeast European Times (SETimes) article reports that the Interior Minister of Albania, Bujar Nishani, has announced that "Albanians will receive new electronic ID cards and biometric passports by February" (SETimes 15 July 2008). A statement on the website of the Ministry of Interior of Albania notes that the system to produce the new identity cards will be ready to start production in early 2009 (Albania 27 July 2008). An official at the Canadian Embassy in Rome stated in correspondence with the Research Directorate that the new identity card should be available by June 2009 (15 Sept. 2008). According to SecureIDNews, French company Sagem Sécurité has been contracted by the Albanian government to make new biometric passports and identity cards (26 Mar. 2008).
Information on whether the leternjoftim is a common identity document used in Albania was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the Albanian Official stated that passports, birth certificates (with a photo) and leternjoftim are the most commonly used documents in Albania (Albania 11 Sept. 2008). The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) states in a 2007 report on local elections that birth certificates "are widely used" in Albania as voter identification (5 June 2007). In contrast, the Canadian Official stated that birth certificates "are no longer acceptable" as a general identity document or as voter identification (15 Sept. 2008). The Canadian Official also stated that the driver's licence "is not acceptable" as an identity document (15 Sept. 2008).
The 2006 Republic of Albania "Decree on the Usage, Preservation and Administration of Identity Documents of Citizens in Public Administration Offices" provides the following information:
1. The identification of Albanian citizens, who apply with the intention of using various services or participating in various procedures conducted by the institutions of public administration, will be considered complete only when citizens present to the administrative institution one of the following documents:
a) a birth certificate with a photo, issued in accordance with Law No. 8950, dated 10 October 2002 on "Civil Procedures", amended;
b) an "identity card" issued in accordance with Law No 5840, dated 20 February 1979 on "The Registration of the Civil Acts", in those cases when their use is permitted by law;
c) a passport to travel abroad, issued in accordance with Law No. 8668, dated 23 October 2000, on "Providing Albanian citizens with passports to travel abroad", amended, including the following:
i. normal passports;
ii. service passports;
iii. diplomatic passports.
...
6. For the purpose of this Decree, the birth certificate with a photo issued by the civil office or the consular service, in accordance with Law No. 8950, dated 10 October 2002 "On Civil Offices", amended, does not enjoy long-time validity for the purpose of identifying Albanian citizens. (Albania 7 Sept. 2006)
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Albania. 11 September 2008. General Consulate of the Republic of Albania, New York. Correspondence from an official.
_____. 27 July 2008. Ministry of Interior. "Declaration of the Spokesman of the Ministry of Interior, Fatmir Konja, as a Response to the Declaration of PS, on 26.07.2008, Regarding the Process of Identity Cards Production."
_____. 7 September 2006. Prime Minister Sali Berisha. "Decree on the Usage, Preservation and Administration of Identity Documents of Citizens in Public Administration Offices."
Canada. 15 September 2008. Canadian Embassy in Rome, Italy. Correspondence from an official.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 5 June 2007. Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). "Republic of Albania Local Elections 18 February 2007." OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Report.
SecureIDNews. 26 March 2008. "Sagem Sécurité to Produce Biometric Passports for Albania."
_____. N.d. "About."
Southeast European Times (SETimes). 15 July 2008. "Albania to Introduce Biometric Passports, ID Cards by February."
Worldpress.org [New York]. 19 August 2008. Ledion Krisafi. "Albania: Through a Glass Darkly."
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Attempts to reach an official at the Embassy of Albania in Washington, DC were unsuccessful. Officials at the Embassy of Albania in Ottawa and the Embassy of the United States (US) in Tirana were unable to provide information.
Internet sites, including: Albinvest, Bashkia Durres, Departamenti i Informacionit, Infoshkodra, Ministria e Jashtme, The New York Times, Presidenti i Republikës së Shqipërisë, Qendra e Publikimeve Zyrtare, Republic of Albania Council of Ministers, Republic of Albania People's Advocate, Tiranachat, United States (US) Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs.
