Albania's Ministry of the Interior has officially declared two citizens of North Macedonia persona non grata, citing concerns related to the country's national security.
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| Albania's Ministry of the Interior declared Valon Beljan and Bekir Halimi persona non grata over national security concerns following an investigation by the State Police's Counter-Terrorism Unit. |
Official sources said the decision followed an intelligence-gathering and verification process that involved the State Police's Counter-Terrorism Unit. Authorities concluded that Beljan and Halimi represent a potential threat to Albania's national security, leading to the decision to prohibit their entry and stay in the country.
The measure comes just weeks after Albania also declared Ikball Berisha persona non grata, signaling continued efforts by the government to strengthen national security measures.
Under Albanian law, being declared persona non grata means the individuals are banned from entering or remaining within the territory of the Republic of Albania.
Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the specific activities or intelligence that prompted the decision, stating only that the measure was taken in the interest of protecting national security.
Bekir Halimi is an imam who was expelled from the Islamic Religious Community of North Macedonia in 2016 following disputes with the institution's leadership.
Meanwhile, Valon Beljan, also known as Valjon Bela, is a political analyst and former political activist. He previously served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health of North Macedonia.
As of now, Albanian authorities have not released additional information about the case or whether further security measures involving other foreign nationals are being considered.