TIRANA, July 5
Albania will open an embassy in Australia soon. In support of the law ‘For the external service of the Republic of Albania’ has been set the opening of the embassy of the Republic of Albania, in Canberra, Australia.
This decision has come as a proposal by Prime Minister Edi Rama, the minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the Council of Ministers. The expenses for the opening of this embassy will be funded by the approved budget for the year 2019, for the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which will be appointed for the implementation of this decision.
Some history and figures
The first recorded Albanian to settle in Australia was Naum Konxha who arrived in Brisbane in 1885 with his English wife and decided to stay permanently. However, the first significant Albanian emigration to Australia started in the 1920s after the United States of America placed migration quota restrictions for Southern Europeans, including Albanians.
Many Albanians who arrived in the 1920s settled in rural areas and engaged in agriculture-related employment – mainly fruit growing. The 1933 Australian Census recorded 770 Albanians living in Australia, mostly in Queensland and Victoria. The communist regime which ruled post-war Albania placed immigration restrictions on its citizens. As a result, only a small number of post-war refugees arrived in Australia after World War II. These restrictions remained in place until the 1990s.
The emigration of Albanians to Australia continues to this day. The latest Census in 2011 recorded 2398 Albanians living in Australia, an increase of 19% from the 2006 Census. The 2011 distribution by state and territory showed Victoria had the largest followed by South Australia, Queensland, and New South Wales.
Source/ Scan.tv, Government of Australia
Photo Credit/ Scan.tv
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