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Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Elisa Spiropali attends a joint press conference with North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski (not pictured) in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia, 22 December 2025. Photo: EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI
A US freeze on immigrant visas for 75 countries has sparked a political row in Albania, with the opposition blaming Prime Minister Edi Rama’s government.
On Thursday, Elisa Spiropali, Albania’s Foreign Minister, rebuffed the opposition’s claims that the US move is a response to Rama’s policies.
“The latest US decision has not blocked the movement and travel of Albanian citizens to the US. Not at all. Neither have visas for tourist purposes, students, business, family visits or work-related events been blocked,” Spiropali said in a video statement.
A day earlier, Belind Kellici, an opposition MP, said the decision “puts Albania on a blacklist” and accused Prime Minister Rama of being responsible for this.
“The recent decision to suspend visas from the US, as protection from enemy countries, or those that are sources of illegal immigration, places Albania on another blacklist, thanks to the leader of the first narco-state in Europe, Edi Rama,” Kellici said on Wednesday.
The political row in Albania erupted after the US State Department said on Wednesday it will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries “whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.
“The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” it declared.
On January 4, President Donald Trump published a list of countries whose immigrants receive welfare from the US public funds. The list stated that 41.3 per cent of immigrant households from Albania receive welfare.
The list of 75 countries affected by the visa freeze also includes Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
The US embassy in Tirana said that “President Trump has made clear that immigrants must be financially self-sufficient and not be a financial burden to Americans.” The embassy noted that the new policy will not affect tourist visa applications.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement: “Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
It is unclear how long this process will continue or when the visa freeze will end.
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