Tensions in Himara, a coastal city in southern Albania, have risen after dozens of members of the Greek minority in the area were detained. The arrests were reportedly made after residents were prevented from attending a local council meeting on plans to demolish buildings in the city. 

This is not the first incident related to the new urban plan for Himara, which has frequently been a source of tensions between Tirana and Athens. Representatives of the Greek community claim the plan to revamp the centre of Himara, which was presented to the public in 2015, is aimed at removing ethnic Greeks from the city. 

The latest incident began on August 25, when the Himara city council was due to ratify the government’s decision to rebuild the area. This includes plans to confiscate property belonging to the Greek minority and the demolition of buildings, Tornos News reported.

Around 200 members of the Greek minority in Himara tried to take part in the meeting, but the mayor called the police to intervene and prevented their entry. Afterwards the meeting was canceled. In the last few days, dozens of people have been arrested. 

The Party of the Human Rights Association, which represents Albania’s Greek minority, claimed that the purpose of the plans was the “de-Hellenisation of the region” through a “velvet ethnic cleansing”.

The organisation called on the authorities to “stop the extortion of society and the terror of the police”. 

The Himara region, which has a population of just over 11,000 is ethnically mixed and both Albanian and Greek are spoken. 

The Greek authorities claimed that demolition of buildings owned by the Greek minority in Himara buildings is in violation of European principles.

In November 2016, a Greek foreign ministry official warned that plans to demolish the homes of Greek families in Himara will affect Tirana's progress towards the EU membership. 

Himara was not recognised by Tirana as a Greek minority region under the communist regime, and subsequent Albanian governments have continued this policy.