The Italo-Albanian community in our country continues to grow, drawing increasing attention from Italian institutions.
In this context, a joint delegation from ITAL UIL, led by its president Giuliano Zignani, and UIL Pensionati, represented by its general secretary, the prominent trade unionist Carmelo Barbagallo, recently conducted a multi-day visit to Albania. ITAL UIL has over 70 years of activity and operates 1,500 offices in Italy, assisting tens of thousands of Albanians each year. UIL Pensionati represents 600,000 registered retirees.
The Italian delegation followed an intensive schedule of meetings, including one at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs with Ermonela Xhafa, Director of the National Diaspora Agency. Discussions focused on the services that ITAL UIL and UIL Pensionati offer to Albanians, both in Italy and across 30 countries worldwide, including Tirana, where support is available through the UIM Albania office.
Also of strategic importance was the meeting with Confindustria Albania, which centered on industrial relations and labor market trends, with attention to social impact. The goal was to identify best practices to build shared strategies that address the challenges of a transforming economy.
Beyond high-level meetings with the Italian diplomatic mission in Albania, the delegation led by Zignani and Barbagallo dedicated part of their trip to meeting Italian citizens in two symbolic cities of this reverse migration — Durrës and Vlorë — to better understand the needs of those who have chosen to move across the Adriatic and settle in Albania.
Through its local office, UIM Albania, ITAL UIL and UIL Pensionati expressed their readiness to serve as a bridge between the Italo-Albanian community and local institutions — such as in meetings with the Mayor of Vlorë, Ermal Dredha, and the Deputy Mayor of Durrës, Gentian Kallmi.
“With this visit,” said UIL Pensionati Secretary General Carmelo Barbagallo, “we’ve taken an important step in strengthening our commitment to Italian retirees living abroad and to the many Albanian workers and retirees who contributed to Italy’s development. We want their pension rights to be acknowledged, and access to those benefits to be more transparent and straightforward. UIL Pensionati, ITAL UIL, and UIM Albania will always stand by those who have worked their whole lives and deserve respect and dignity — beyond borders.”
The visit capped a phase of intensive work that began with earlier meetings last December, when ITAL and UIL representatives were welcomed in Tirana by Minister Taulant Balla and opposition leaders, and a renewed cooperation agreement was signed with Albania’s Social Insurance Institute (ISSH).
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