Yugoslavia: Situation of ethnic Albanians in Montenegro (1 January 1997 - April 1998)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | YUG29193.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Yugoslavia: Situation of ethnic Albanians in Montenegro (1 January 1997 - April 1998), 1 April 1998, YUG29193.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac2474.html [accessed 21 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 page 253 of The World Directory of Minorities (1997):
Most of Montenegrin Albanians are concentrated in the south, near the border with Albania. At least 80 per cent of the southern city of Ulcinj is Albanian. There are also concentrations of Albanians in Bar, Ostrog and Tuzi. Relations between Montenegrins and Albanians are not hostile, although mixed communities bear strong signs of social segmentation. The principal Albanian party is the Democratic Alliance of Montenegro, which has campaigned for autonomy for Albanian communities in Montenegro.
According to the 17 January 1997 Kosova Daily Report, a bulletin published by the Democratic League of Kosova in Pristina, two Albanians were sentenced in Montenegro for up to 90 days imprisonment for having Pristina University diplomas which the authorities considered "falsified documents." In a 15 January 1997 Montena-Fax News Agency article, the Democratic Forum for Human Rights and Interethnic Relations of Montenegro stated that the two Albanians were imprisoned "because they used diplomas from Pristina University to compete for vacancies in the municipality of Plav [in eastern Montenegro]."
According to a 6 February 1998 Deutsche Presse-Agentur article, the Montenegrin parliament confirmed Prime Minister Vujanovic's proposed cabinet, which included "representatives of five opposition parties, including Montenegro's ethnic Albanians and Moslems."
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 to refugee status or asylum.
References
Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 6 February 1998. BC Cycle. "Parliament Approves New Montenegrin Government." (NEXIS)
Kosova Daily Report [Pristina, in English]. 14 January 1997. "Ethnic Albanian Commission Denounces 'Discrimination'." (BBC Summary 17 Jan. 1997/NEXIS)
Minority Rights Group International. 1997. The World Directory of Minorities. The High, Harlow, Essex: Longman Group UK.
Montena-Fax News Agency [Podgorica, in Serbo-Croat]. 15 January 1997. "Forum Protests Against Imprisonment of Ethnic Albanians." (BBC Summary 17 Jan. 1997/NEXIS)
