Albania included among weak or failing states despite being a NATO member
Tirana, Tirana Times, 14 January 2026 – Washington’s decision to suspend U.S. visa processing for Albania, effective January 21 and for an indefinite period, marks one of the strongest diplomatic signals sent to Tirana in years. Albania has been included in a list of 75 countries whose citizens will no longer have their visa applications processed under the public charge provision, which targets applicants who could become dependent on public assistance in the United States. Amid many weak or failing states, U.S. visa processing is suspended also for Albania, a NATO member and EU-aspiring country.
Fox News reports that an internal State Department memo instructs consular officials to freeze visa processing for countries where a high percentage of migrants have ended up on U.S. welfare programs. This measure, part of the broader America First policy direction, groups Albania together with states facing structural instability, poor governance, and serious socio economic vulnerabilities.
A senior expert at the Albanian Institute for International Studies told Tirana Times that the decision is deeply discouraging and extremely alarming, emphasizing that the list contains many weak or dysfunctional states. Yet Washington has placed Albania in the same category, even though Albania is a NATO member and formally seeking EU membership, while Serbia is not affected by this measure. The expert added that it was the United States that strongly pushed for Albania’s accession to NATO, but today a NATO member aspiring to join the EU cannot explain why it is experiencing mass emigration and near depopulation.
The scale of emigration is central to the U.S. assessment. In the last ten years alone, Albania has lost at least 800,000 people who have emigrated not only to EU countries but increasingly to the United States. This dramatic demographic decline, combined with labor shortages, economic stagnation, and dependence on remittances, has significantly damaged Albania’s international standing. AIIS experts underline that the U.S. decision does not target Albanians as individuals but reflects a profound concern over governance. Albania was once a country where the U.S. provided assistance programs for Albanian citizens residing legally in America. The shift from support to restriction signals a deteriorating evaluation of Albania’s domestic stability and institutional performance.
The regional dimension adds further weight. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and North Macedonia are also included in the suspension, but Serbia is not, despite its own migration pressures. This omission is likely to raise questions and provoke political debate. For Albania, the symbolism is especially sharp: a NATO ally being treated in the same way as fragile and failing states.
This decision is not a bureaucratic technicality. It is a political warning. It calls into question the credibility, effectiveness and direction of Albania’s governance. For a country whose strategic orientation has relied heavily on its close partnership with the United States, this development should be treated as a serious alarm demanding urgent reflection and meaningful reform.
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