YUGOSLAV POLICY TOWARD ALBANIAN REFUGEES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006200410001-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2008
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 11, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/08/06: CIA-RDP80-0081OA006200410001-0
MFOO QMQ1OON REP09T MFOO QM
'CENTRAL'"1N?ELLIGENCE AGENCY
O0 IM
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
REPORT
Albania/Yugoslavia
SUBJECT Yugoslav Policy Toward
Albanian Refugees
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
DATE DISTR.
11 March 1955
NO. OF PAGES 3
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
1. The Leave of Albanian Reuses (Prizren Committee) was ootenoibly organised
by the Yugoolev Government to bring all Albanian ref eeo into a single Croup
without regard to political or religiouo perouiaoiono Actually, The Prizren
Committee was composed of Albanians who were neo-Comuniote and trusted Tito-
iota. This situation produced an atmosphere of distrust and reluctance to
participate in Committee activities on the part of most Albanian refugeeo in
Yugoslavia who nourished anti-Communist feelings. In contraot with the pre-
sumed democratic spirit which inspired the Constitution of the Prizren Com-
mittee, the selection of candidates and their election to Committee offices
was engineered by Dusan Mugosa and his UDBa (Yugoslav Intelligence Service)
aids.
2. The Prizren Committee was commonly referred to in Albanian emigre circles
as the "Lume Organization'because it was composed of many Albanians from
the Lume district, who are reputed to be corrupt and ready to sell their
services to anyone for a price. Some Albanians from Lume are Ramadan Spahiu,
Lufti Spahiu, Islam Domi, Sabri Domi and Bardho Leka.
3. The last edition of Flamuri i Liris, official;,.organ of the Prizren Committee,
made inoffensive references to Albania and the-two slogans which formerly
appeared in the masthead calling for a union of the Albanian people and attack-
ing the Hoxha-Shehu Regime were omitted. The regular pep-talks at Committee.
meetings for anti Albanian propaganda activities have'.been discontinued.
4. Albanian refugees who are working closely with UDBa officers discount the
importance of the Committee. Although'the main office'of the Prizren Committee
is now in Prishtina, President : Harulla Ishmi still lives in Prizren and
Vice-President Nik Sokoli lives in Peja. Moreover, the usual
0 x OINAA
DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
FBI '1 :1 AEC
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membership dues were not collected in December. The Committee will probably
be dissolved and a new political group established. Even publication of
Flamuri i Liris will be discontinued.
5. Yugoslavia's present policy toward Albanian refugees is part of a general
plan with the following political objectives in view:
a. Belgrade
Iwanted to demonstrate to
Tirana that Yugoslavia was ready to disband organizations which
are hostile to Albania.1
d. Belgrade wanted to create the impression both in Eastern and
Western camps that Yugoslavia was disbanding her own aggressive
political assets against her neighbors.
6. When Bel ra a learned that a ma r t of the refugees wanted to leave
slavia
Yugoslav agents were sent to the
refugees to persuadethem roug rea a oletromises and offers of
m _ _ _ __ to withdraw their visa applications . 2
Albanians were used by the UDBa to agitate among the refugees and persuade
them-to mai
Theme Albanians, noted for their courage and influence in
Albania as guerrilla fighters, were told by UDBa officials not to insist on
an exit visa if they did not want to come to a 'bad end.
7. Members of the Prizren Committee have been perplexed and disturbed by this
attitude of the Yugoslav Government.
8. Although Bato Karafili , Charge d'Affaires of the Albanian Legation in
Belgrade is under constant surveillance by the UDBa, be has tried in every
possible way to spread the word that Tirana is very willing to accept Albanian
repatriates including those who had been activel engaged against the
present regime in the past.3
9. One night in early January 1955, an unidentified refugee from Lume, who
wanted to return to Albania, boldly went to the Albanian Legation in Belgrade
where he was well received and kept for hours with food and drink. He was
responsible for spreading the word that refugees who desired to repatriate
to Albania would be well received and that the Albanian Legation would either
subsidize or otherwise aid those who wanted to return.
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Comments:
639 Albanian
refugees, who wish to leave Yugoslavia, are a ng e n a camp in
Slovenia.
3. Bato Karafili is Minister of the Albanian Legation.
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