Great Britain may not publish the names it has declared non grata from Albania, but warns that this is only the first wave of these measures to crack down on persons involved in organised crime and corruption.
"UK legislation does not allow more details to be given. Britain does not intend to take action against an institution, group or party. They are different individuals and this is the first wave of measures in Albania and wide in the Balkans", the British Embassy in Tirana is quoted in a reaction for A2 television.
The embassy does not rule out that they are from both sides of politics, businesses, media or other areas.
Earlier, London's special envoy for the Western Balkans, Sir Howard Peach, stressed through an editorial that sanctioned Albanian individuals have links to widely published and documented crime and corruption.
"This is the first wave of a series of actions to encourage accountability and end impunity. The UK has a range of valuable means to stop individuals linked to crime and corruption, including immigration and the disruption of economic ties. Details of these actions cannot always be made public," Peach said.
Although it supports the work of new bodies of justice, British authorities believe that many persons linked to illegal politics, business and activities are likely to benefit from unpunishedness.
"As the OSCE report on international monitoring of last year's elections shows, the purchase of a vote and misuse of public funds continues to be a major problem in Albanian politics. As long as politicians are able to co-operate with criminals to buy, blackmail and canoe voters, Albanian democracy will remain fragile and incomplete. Other changes are now needed, as well as electoral reform," the envoy's editorial for the Western Balkans says.
Great Britain announced the launch of a broad action in the fight against corruption and organised crime, undertaking sanctions on 27 people, among them some Albanians, which concern the right to stay in this country as well as economic ties.