A growing number of migrants and refugees are turning to Albania A growing number of migrants from the Middle East are seeking asylum in Albania, a phenomenon unseen so far in the small and poor Balkan country known more for its massive emigration. Hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived in Europe in 2015 and 2016 using the so-called Balkans route. The route was closed in March 2016 but migrants seeking alternative ways still cross the region to reach the EU.