The project of the company "Gener 2" to turn a part of the coast between Shëngjin and Velipoja into a luxury resort named "Blue Borgo" has once again sparked clashes with the residents of the area.
Since Monday, dozens of residents of Baks-Rrjoll in Shkodra, who claim that construction is being carried out in violation of their property rights, have been protesting.
They are demanding that the works be suspended until a court decision is made. The clash between them, the police and the group of investors has been ongoing since last year, when the company tried to start works in the area.
On one side stands a construction permit signed by the government and a strategic investor. On the other, dozens of families claim that the investment is being made without their consent, on land stolen through forged documents.
The clash with the police and the escalation of the case
On Tuesday, around 30-40 residents were escorted to the police station after blocking the Shëngjin-Velipoja road and trying to stop the works. The protest continued today, similarly blocking the road, which was again accompanied by clashes with the police.
After about an hour of waiting for an ambulance, one of the protesters, who lost consciousness, was rushed to the hospital.
Residents announced that on Thursday they will travel to Tirana to address the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, where they have been filing a complaint since March of last year. report on the ownership issue, without yet receiving a public response.
In parallel, in the area, the company "Gener 2" continues its work. Its machines had opened the route of the secondary road to the construction site. Trucks and heavy machinery were moving soil, while a group of workers stood on the side, facing the protesters.
After clashes and warnings from residents, a sign was placed on the side of the road, which, despite talking about the project, was not accompanied by the whitewashed and signed permit of the National Council for Territory and Water (KKTU).
The table showed that the investment is estimated at around 26.8 billion lek (280 million euros) and that the company "Gener 2" had received an implementation license for the project (NZ. 4586/34) on September 16, 2025. This means that when the company tried to open the site in March 2025, it did not have a license.
In writing, KKTU granted permission for the construction of the resort on December 17, 2024 – bleached only in January 2026 on the website of the Territorial Development Agency. The decision provides 33 accommodation structures and service, with facilities from 3 to 10 floors above ground and one underground floor, including hotel and social-cultural structures.
The development area is planned to be around 146 hectares between "Rana e Hedhun" and Rrjoll.
According to the National Environment Agency, a public consultation was held for the "Blue Borgo" project in September 2024, as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures.
The consultation is reflected in non-technical summary of the environmental report, where the project is presented as a tourist development with a manageable impact on the environment.
In December 2024, the project received the status of strategic investor for a five-star accommodation structure, paving the way for procedural advantages and institutional support. However, referring to a correspondence between Citizens.al and the Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA), by May 2025, "the only project with active status" It was the "Dukagjini Resort" project with the subject "Dukagjini Group".
However, these decisions were made in parallel with an open ownership conflict in the area, which is being opposed by residents and is still in litigation, turning the project into one of the most debated cases of tourist development on the northern coast at the moment.
Property conflict: Formal legality, real conflict
The crux of the clash is not just about the size of the project, but about land ownership. Residents claim that plots inherited for decades were registered in the names of third parties through forged documents and then sold to the investor.
This very issue is the subject of an ongoing legal process. The residents are demanding that, in the context of an open ownership conflict, the works be halted until a final decision is made, in order to avoid an irreversible situation.
However, the construction permit does not provide for any suspension clause in the event of a legal challenge, shifting the conflict from the courtroom to the field, between residents and the police.
The company "Gener 2" reacted last year by emphasizing through a press release that "The claims are speculation." and that she guaranteed that "during the entire process, no one's property rights were violated".
According to the permit, the project developer is the company "ABA Blue Borgo", founded in January 2024. However, it is part of the "Gener 2" group, owned as the main shareholder by entrepreneur Bashkim Ulaj.
The documents show frequent changes in the partnership structure and quota transfers during the years 2024-2025, an element that residents use as an additional argument to add to claims of possible abuses.
The Rrjoll case follows a familiar pattern in tourism developments in recent years: large projects approved at the central level, on land with unclear ownership histories, where residents are faced with a fait accompli.
While the state considers the project a strategic investment, the residents are left with only one alternative: shifting their claims to the legal level, which means moving away from the property.
In the absence of a public reaction from SPAK or the government that approved the permit, the clash seems set to deepen as none of the residents seem to be backing down.
Read also:
- Residents of Rrjoll oppose construction of tourist resort
- Residents of Rrjoll, at SPAK for property rights
Erblin Vukaj has completed his studies in “Communication Sciences” and further mastered (MSc) in “European and International Journalism” at the University of Tirana. Since 2012, Vukaj has been working as a professional journalist, gaining experience in online media, print media, radio and television. He has covered various issues such as current affairs, health, environment and sports. In parallel, he has led and been involved in several research projects on the communist past in Albania.
