Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes some archival documents extracted from the Central State Archive in Tirana (fund of the former Central Committee of the ALP), where there are some documents belonging to the year 1973, where the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, has issued an order to the Border Crossing Points and the Customs Administration, with certain criteria that should be applied to all foreign nationals entering the People’s Republic of Albania, regarding their clothing and appearance, such as long hair, basets etc., which “contradicted the norms of our socialist morality”, as well as the prohibition of religious literature that they could dispose of, etc. As well as the document with the report-information of the Customs Directorate at the Ministry of Trade, addressed to the Foreign Directorate in the Central Committee of the ALP, regarding the event of 20.7.1973, where a group of tourists of the firm “Retel Tours das rrollende hotel”, of West Germany, which consisted of 36 Germans, 5 Austrians, and 1 Luxembourger, were barred from entering the Customs of Hani i Hotit, as they possessed religious literature, etc.
The document of 1973 with the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, Kadri Hazbiu, sent to the Border Crossing Points and the Directorate of Customs, regarding some criteria that must be met by all foreign citizens entering the People’s Republic of Albania, regarding their clothing and appearance, such as long hair, trousers, etc.
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
No. 479
Examples Nr. 1
Tirana on 4.5.1973
CRITERIA
ON THE PROHIBITION OF FOREIGN CITIZENS ENTRY INTO THE AUTHORITY WHO IN CLOTHING AND FOREIGN APPEARANCE CONTRARY TO THE NORMS OF OUR SOCIALIST MORALITY
To preserve the rules of appearance in our socialist country, as well as to prevent the influence of the bourgeois revisionist ideology through the extravagant dress and appearance of foreigners who come to the RPSH for various reasons, as well as through the literature they bring with them , apply the following criteria:
1 – Not to be allowed to enter the RPSH all those foreign persons who by their appearance, are contrary to the norms of our socialist morality, such as men with hair like women, with very exaggerated bets , with irregular beards, as well as with inappropriate clothing, specifically women with miniskirts and maxifundas.
2 – Not to allow the passage of any kind of literature with counter-revolutionary content, religious, and pornographic. This type of literature should be kept at customs and, if their owner requests it, given to you in return.
3 – Technical, cultural, and artistic literature is allowed for all foreigners who come to our country, in the amount of one or two pieces of books or magazines that are claimed to be in personal use. While the other quantity of this literature, is stopped and immediately sent to the Customs Directorate, which, after making the verifications according to the rules, sends this without delay to the institution or department that receives the foreigner.
4 – Persons with inappropriate content and those who bring literature to the detention center should be treated correctly and cultured by the border and customs authorities, making clear the reasons why these measures are taken. All those foreigners who will correct on the spot, their appearance and dress, are allowed to enter the territory of the RPSH.
5 – Border and customs authorities do not implement the measures provided in points 1. 2. and 3.
A – For diplomats accredited in the Republic of Albania and employees of diplomatic and trade missions, as well as for their family members.
B – For officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic couriers of foreign countries that have diplomatic missions in Tirana.
6 – The border and customs authorities do not implement the measures provided for in point 1.
A – For members of official delegations received by the various departments or institutions of our country.
B – For members of sports teams who come at the invitation of our country or in the framework of international sports meetings.
The persons mentioned in points 5 and 6, will be released to cross the border of our country, regardless of their appearance. In such cases, the border crossing points and the customs authorities in a cultured way, point out to them that the rules of our country do not allow such a presentation, however you are free to cross.
In addition, in any case, they send as soon as possible to their superior body detailed information on these findings.
The information is forwarded to the host institution which takes the measures to regulate their presentation.
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
KADRI HAZBIU
The document of the Customs Directorate at the Ministry of Trade in Tirana, with the report-information to the Customs Directorate at the Ministry of Trade, sent to the Foreign Directorate at the Central Committee of the ALP, regarding the blocking of a group at the Hani i Hotit Customs tourists from West Germany
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE
DIRECTORATE OF CUSTOMS
No. 307 Prot
Tirana on 21.7.1973
CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF ALP
FOREIGN DIRECTORATE
T I R A N Ë
We would like to inform you that on 20.7.1973, at 16.00 in Hoti customs; a group of tourists of the firm “Retel Tours das rollunder hotel” of West Germany arrived, consisting of 36 Germans, 5 Austrians, and 1 Luxembourg.
According to the established procedure, they were asked if they had propaganda materials. All of them submitted various newspapers and magazines, with the exception of Jean Etien, born in Nechen, Luxembourg, who did not declare anything.
From the data obtained on the spot by the Customs officers, a thorough check of the mentioned was established and you were found, 70 booklets of religious prayers in French, 50 booklets of religious prayers in German, 120 pamphlets with pictures of Christ in two forms, as well as 50 photographs of the bloody Christ, printed in Belgium.
Also in an envelope addressed to Comrade Enver, you found 5 threads inside, 10 pictures of Christ, 8 religious calls, and 5 copy sheets.
After the control, he stated that he would distribute these materials to foreign tourists in our country, and would give the letter to Enver Hoxha.
In these conditions, the employees of Hoti Customs brought him in front of the group of all foreign tourists to whom, I told you about the violation of the rules of our country, and all unanimously demanded that this person be returned.
Despite the request of the group, according to our rules this person would return and his return was decided. While everyone else decided to return to Tirana, giving you the allowed materials, while the other materials, stopped you to give them back. Jean Etien, after being informed of his return, left for Yugoslavia without saying anything.
Attached we send you the envelope addressed to Comrade Enver, along with the material inside, as well as a copy of the other materials he left at Customs. Memorie.al
Director of Customs
Edip Çuçi
