Karaburun tragedy

"[6][7] Despite the political reforms and successes of the Albanian government in its efforts to stop illegal emigration, in early 2004 this phenomenon still existed, as evidenced by the Karaburun deaths on 9 January.

It was not until some six and a half years later, on 8 November 2010, that the Council of the European Union approved visa-free travel into the Schengen Area for Albanian citizens.

They embarked with two dinghy drivers and one trafficker, setting out at around 17:30 from the northern coasts of Dhërmi village on the stormy afternoon of 9 January, after it became completely dark.

Afterwards, with other policemen, he went to the place where the embarkation occurred on the northern shores of Dhërmi and found an abandoned Peugeot car and some empty plastic cans of fuel.

At 18:30, the radar in Vlorë tracked two watercraft, 3 miles off Karaburun's coast, publicly confirmed by a spokesman of the Ministry of Order during a transmission on Top-Channel.

Due to the bad weather they could not progress beyond Mezokanal between Sazan Island and Karaburun Peninsula and docked in Shën Jan bay, near Cape of Gjuhëz.

The pilot hovered over the target for nearly half an hour until a '’CP-407'’ patrol boat of the 28th Group of the Italian navy (Marina Militare) stationed in Durrës seaport, could arrive to save the 11 survivors.

Nikollë Mhillaj, the founder and chair of the Association 9 Janar asked for efforts being made to pursue the issue at the highest level of justice and the clarification of the existence of the second boat.

[9] Director of Criminal Police of the General Directorate of State Police, Mr. Sokol Bizhga, attested in his testimony for the Prosecution of Vlorë that another inflatable boat was found a few hours before Guardia di Finanza's watercraft rescued the 11 survivors: "At the dawn of 10 January, around 06:30 we noticed at a distance about four miles from Gjiri i Dafinës (Laurel bay ) a rubber dinghy.

The opposition leader deputies of the Democratic party accused the government of strong implication in the tragedy and in involvement in clandestine trafficking.

[13] On 17 March 2009 the Court of Appeal in Vlorë decided to reopen investigations into the tragedy of Karaburun[14] and in December 2009, one of the main organizers of the trafficking was arrested in Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy, under a fake name.

[15] In February 2010, Albanian President Bamir Topi decreed the law on the "Moratorium of motor sailing boats of the Republic of Albania".

[16] In February 2004, the well-known Albanian folk singer Bujar Qamili sang Zëra në fund të detit ( Voices in the bottom of the sea), a song dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Karaburun tragedy.

The lyrics were written by Qazim Çela and Jorgo Papingji and the music was composed by the Aliu brothers and orchestrated by Luan Degestani.