The Ombudsman, Endrit Shabani, today publicly raised the issue of children in street situations in the capital, children who, according to him, should be in school, but are found risking their lives by hanging from car windows, just a few meters from the Parliament. The concern was expressed during an inspection at the “Zyber Hallulli” Children’s Home, where the institution currently holds 39 children.

“These children have been abandoned twice. The first time by those who had the natural responsibility to care for them. The second time by institutions that are paid for with our taxes, precisely to protect these children from those who exploit them. The fact that these children are still two minutes away from the Parliament shows a significant lack of work by the institutions: the municipality, the police, the prosecution,” said Endrit Shabani.

The Ombudsman stated that resolving the issue of children in street situations is one of the main objectives of the Children’s Rights Section at the Ombudsman. For 2026, the Institution will monitor that each responsible institution carries out the duty assigned to it by law.

The Ombudsman requests from the responsible institutions:

1. The Municipality of Tirana to immediately activate the Child Protection Units to identify and register every child on the streets.

2. The State Police to intervene to protect children from the risk of traffic and exploitation.

3. The Prosecution Office to investigate every case of exploitation or trafficking of children abandoned on the streets.

During the visit, the Ombudsman also raised concerns about the transitional phase of the transfer of children from “Zyber Hallulli” to a new building, requesting that the process guarantee the best interest of the child. The State Social Service informed that the transfer will be temporary and monitored with a plan of measures until the completion of the new building.

The Commissioner for Children's Affairs, Alma Faskaj, emphasized that inspections in the centers where children are kept will continue.

“We came to see the standards of dignified stay in the residential centers. This was the first visit and will be followed by other inspections,” said Faskaj.

In conclusion, the director of this home indicated that the main challenge remains the integration of these children into society.

“We presented our work in the care of children without parental care and our greatest challenge: the integration of children into society. Children on the streets are outside the system, without school, without medical care and at risk of malnutrition or trafficking,” said Valbona Imeraj, director of the “Zyber Hallulli” Children's Home.