Exceptional Rush in Morinë: More Than 200,000 Kosovars Travel to Albania at the End of August

The Morinë border crossing is experiencing heavy traffic, as thousands of citizens and vehicles travel from Kosovo toward Albania.

The end of August has brought a wave of travel by Kosovars to Albania’s beaches, as they make the most of the final days of their holidays before the new school year begins on September 1.

Official data from the Directorate for Borders and Emigration show that between 5:00 a.m. on August 29 and 8:00 a.m. on August 30, 51,278 Kosovo citizens arrived in Albania, accompanied by 14,692 cars and buses.

The days before this period also recorded high figures. Between August 24 and 28, 152,694 Kosovo citizens and 46,870 vehicles entered Albanian territory through the Morinë crossing.

Taking the entire August 24–30 period into account, entries into Albania through this crossing reached 203,972 people, while the number of vehicles stood at 61,562.

This intense activity at the border is closely linked to the end of the holiday season, as many families bid farewell to summer before their children return to school.

The heavy traffic at Morinë reflects a continuing pattern observed throughout the summer. Statistics for May, June and July show nearly 1.43 million entries by Kosovo citizens into Albania, mainly with the coastline as their destination.

This overall figure also includes Kosovars living abroad who, while spending their holidays in their homeland, chose to visit Albania’s beaches as well.

With the arrival of September, the flow is expected to remain high, but this time in the opposite direction, toward Kosovo, as holidaymakers return and prepare for the start of the school year.