Our Man in Tirana understands his Albanian friends, who are frustrated over the EU's travel visa policies: “Growing up in Northern Ireland, I experienced the same frustrations and resentments when I travelled to Great Britain. Though both were part of the United Kingdom, visitors from Northern Ireland were always treated differently. At airports in particular this difference was noticeable. Certain gates were reserved for travellers to and from Northern Ireland, often isolated from other gates. We were monitored by security cameras. We were stopped at random and questioned by police officers.”