When They Come With Euros They Are Brothers, When They Come With Banners They Are Foreigners

Before condemning the presence of one or dozens of Albanians from Kosovo, North Macedonia, or the diaspora at the protests in Tirana, it is worth recalling a few basic facts.

About 4.6 million entries are recorded annually from Kosovo; from North Macedonia, around 750 thousand. Together, they make up nearly half of the “miracle” of 12 million tourists that the government proudly trumpets in its statistics.

Then comes the diaspora. These are the very people who have kept the economy afloat for decades through remittances, who buy homes, open businesses, and fill the airports and beaches every season.

When they send money, they are hailed as the “engine of development.” When they promote Albania abroad, they are proclaimed “our best ambassadors.” When they say good things about the government, the red carpet is rolled out for them and a place is made ready for them in television studios.

But it takes only for some of them to appear in a protest square for the magic to be broken. Overnight, they turn into “people coming from abroad,” “manipulated,” or “agents” of dubious agendas.

And we are not talking about strangers with no connection to this land.

Kosovo gave us the League of Prizren and the foundations of modern national history. Albanians in North Macedonia remind us of the Congress of Monastir and the alphabet we write with today. Meanwhile, the diaspora has kept alive the lifeblood of thousands of families in our hardest days.

Therefore, this double standard is as absurd as it is offensive: when they bring foreign currency, investments, or praise, they are model Albanians; when they dare to bring criticism or join a civic cause, they are treated as foreigners with no right to a voice.

If they have the legitimate right to contribute to this country, they have the same right to care about it and speak about it. The public square and public debate cannot have customs checkpoints. Or should we put up another barrier in Skanderbeg Square as well?

By Lutfi Dervishi