Voices from the field

Back From Syria to Reintegration: Supporting Violent Extremist Offenders in the Probation System in Albania

Tirana / Albania 4 May 2026

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Julinda Manja & Roland Sulika

In her dark clothing, Fatime* sits quietly, seemingly uninterested in any conversation, waits impatiently to meet her Probation Officer in Tirana. Every three months, she is required to report and discuss her progress with the probation authorities. She is one of the nine women who returned in October 2024 after years in Syria, where she was caught in a conflict far from her homeland, having survived unimaginable hardship. Now, as a mother, daughter, and convicted violent extremist offender (VEO), Fatime faces the daunting challenge of reintegration under the supervision of the Albanian Probation Service. Her return, along with eight other women, marks a milestone for Albania’s justice system. For years, women like her were seen only as victims, requiring psychological care and support instead of criminal justice intervention. However, with legal definitions now evolved and clarified, Fatime was sentenced to probation — a community sanction and measure, which includes also assistance aiming at the social inclusion of offender.

The decision to convict VEOs to probation regime is a progressive and humane approach to justice and community reintegration. Recognising that effective rehabilitation and reintegration require more than incarceration, Albanian authorities, with support from the European Union and Council of Europe, have pioneered developing proper tools and programmes to support the VEOs in their rehabilitation and effective reintegration.

Roland Sulika, probation officer from Mat, is among those who have participated in specialised capacity-building activities on managing and rehabilitating VEOs, in the framework of the EU and Council of Europe joint action “Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release”. He emphasises the significance of equipping probation staff with advanced tools for assessing potential signs of radicalisation and tailoring individual intervention programmes. Roland notes that these instruments are crucial in evaluating the unique needs and factors involved in each individual’s rehabilitation and integration. “One tool that stood out is the Individual Treatment Plan. It adds depth to our approach, ensuring interventions are not only reactive but also proactive and comprehensive,” he explains. For Roland, the training was transformative, enhancing both his technical knowledge and his professional confidence.

The trainer Julinda Manja, probation inspector from Tirana and one of the first officers to initiate the current training programme, underscores the importance of distinguishing between women VEOs in probation and those in prison settings. “Initially, this reintegration approach was connected only to the prison system, but we advocated for its development within the Probation Service, recognising the unique dynamics, especially for women returning from Syria,” she explains. With support from the Council of Europe, the Albanian Probation Service has developed and successfully piloted new tools tailored for this category of offenders. “Since the gradual introduction of these instruments, their openness and cooperation have grown remarkably. At first, there was scepticism and distance, but today, our communication with them is much easier,” admits Julinda.

Interventions are now expanding, focusing not only on the returned women but also on their families, who may be at risk. We learn that in some municipalities, such as Mat, a working group of diverse stakeholders, led by the local prefect, meets quarterly to review the management of VEOs, assess related risks, and address new cases. These sessions highlight a key lesson that effective reintegration relies on collaboration of various actors and the use of the right tools and methodologies adapted to the specifics of institutions.

While capacity-building activities continue, the Council of Europe’s tools and methodologies, adapted for Albanian probation, are ensuring a gradual and supported reintegration of VEO-s back into society. For, Fatime and others like her, this approach means being recognised not just as former offenders, but as individuals deserving dignity and assistance on their path back to community life.

*Name changed to protect identity of the subject .

This session of the website features inspiring narratives, human stories and success examples, that demonstrate positive change and improvement in the lives of individuals, local communities, and society as a whole.

Back Equality, Non-Discrimination and Diversity in Police Training in Albania

Besnik BAKA

Interview with Prof. Dr. Ilirjan Mandro - Rector of the Security Academy in Tirana

Tirana / Albania 21 April 2026

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Equality, Non-Discrimination and Diversity in Police Training in Albania

Can you briefly introduce the Security Academy, including its mandate, structure, and the number of cadets and officers trained annually? As Rector, what major reforms and priorities are you focusing on?

The Security Academy is the sole higher education institution in the field of public security in Albania. The main mission of the Security Academy is to develop and transmit knowledge through teaching and scientific research in the field of public order and security, with the aim of continuously enhancing the capacities of the State Police, other law-enforcement structures, and both natural and legal persons.

The Academy operates under the authority of the State Police. It currently has 906 students and cadets, while its staff is composed of 204 lecturers and specialists from various fields. Interest in studying at the Security Academy is steadily increasing. During the last academic year, 1,614 candidates applied, and after the selection process, 150 students were enrolled in the first year. The data shows that the Security Academy has the highest enrolment quota fulfilment rate in the country at 99.33%, which attests to the strong reputation of its programme.

The educational structures of the Security Academy consist of the Faculty of Security and Investigation and the High Professional College of Police.

In terms of international co-operation, the Academy enjoys strong and close partnerships with institutions such as the Police Academy in Rome, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centre in the USA (FLETC-I), other police academies including Ankara, the Senior Police Academy in Germany, the Commissioners’ School in France and the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Hungary.

Why is it important for police officers to respect principles of equality and non-discrimination in their daily work? From your experience, how do these principles help build trust between law enforcement and the diverse communities they serve?

It is essential for police officers to know how to handle cases with professionalism. Respecting the principles of equality and non-discrimination is not merely a legal obligation — it is the foundation upon which the legitimacy of the entire law enforcement system is built. When citizens trust that the police treats everyone equally, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status, they become active and reliable partners in maintaining public security. When this trust is absent, even the most basic policing tasks - taking statements, identifying perpetrators, and preventing crime - become far more difficult. The topics addressed and the curricula at the Security Academy aim to educate students and cadets to provide the equal security for all members of the community.

How does the Academy train future police officers to recognize and deal with hate speech and hate crimes, particularly when they affect vulnerable groups? How have recent training initiatives, supported by the EU and the Council of Europe, helped strengthen the Academy’s work in this area?

The education and training of cadets and students to identify and address hate speech and hate crimes is based on three key elements: curriculum updates, case-based learning, and approaches to case resolution.

The Academy also provides mandatory annual training for the State Police and other law enforcement structures. Officers attend modules on human rights, community policing, crime prevention, and communication skills. For example, during the Anti-Discrimination Week held in February 2026, and in cooperation with the Council of Europe Office in Tirana, 426 Academy students were trained to identify bias indicators and apply a victim-centred approach. However, this is neither sufficient nor the only measure, as training initiatives often remain limited in scope. This highlights the need to institutionalize and sustain non-discrimination training as a core component of our curriculum, and to mainstream the topic throughout the entire learning process by linking it to human rights violations, risks faced by victims, and the role of law enforcement officers in protecting fundamental rights and freedoms.

An important element of this process is the integration of topics such as gender-based violence, the investigation of hate crimes, the rights of the LGBTIQ community, community policing, and diversity training into both initial and continuous education.

I can emphasise that the contribution of the EU and the Council of Europe, through the Horizontal Facility programme, has been a key driving force. Several achievements can be highlighted:

The Council of Europe manual Policing Hate Crime against LGBTI persons: Training for a Professional Police Response, serves as a strong didactic foundation for teaching staff, essential literature for cadets and students and for continuous professional development of in-service staff.

Exchanges in 2024 with the police of Pristina and Kyiv, and in 2025 with those of Chisinau and Skopje, exposed us to regional and broader international experiences.

Within the framework of the Anti-Discrimination Week, in 2023 and 2025, we collaborated on dedicated training sessions for Security Academy students.

Looking ahead, how have the Council of Europe’s activities influenced the way the Academy integrates non-discrimination and diversity into police training? What steps will the Academy take to ensure these values remain a core part of police education in the future?

The Council of Europe’s activities have profoundly impacted how academic staff address non-discrimination and diversity in the teaching process. Prior to this co-operation, human rights training was ad hoc, materials in the Albanian language were lacking, there were no formal modules on hate crimes, and the Academy was limited in its exposure to European best practices.

Today, the curriculum formally integrates hate crimes as a compulsory module or topic within study programmes and mandatory training for police structures now covers 90% of frontline personnel.

In this context, women in policing have been identified as a strategic recruitment priority, and the Association of Women in the State Police has been established. These initiatives follow the commitment from the Ministry of Internal Affairs leadership that “gender equality is not only a moral principle, but a necessity for improving the quality of police services.”

The success and credibility of the Academy in combating discrimination will be determined by whether these reforms become a genuine and sustainable domestic practice embedded in the institutional identity. Non-discrimination and diversity are not time-bound initiatives; they are fundamental values that must be present in every lesson, every interaction with citizens, and every institutional decision.