Albanian Villagers Challenge Land Ownership in Jared Kushner-Linked Resort Project

A planned luxury resort in southern Albania linked to investors including Jared Kushner is facing growing opposition from local residents who claim the land was sold without their permission and remains subject to an unresolved legal dispute.

Several villagers from Zvernec told Reuters they hold property deeds and tax records showing ownership of parts of the coastal land included in the development. They say they received no compensation and were not consulted before the sale.

Eighty-one-year-old Kostaq Konomi said he was stopped from entering land he considers his own after fences and private security appeared around the site. Other residents described similar concerns about losing access to an area they have used for decades.

Legal Dispute Adds Uncertainty to Major Development

Investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by Kushner, who is not directly involved in the ownership dispute. However, the claims add another challenge to the multi-billion-euro project planned in the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area near Vlora.

The dispute centers on competing ownership claims involving Artur Shehu, who says his family’s rights to the land date back to the Ottoman era. Villagers argue that a 2013 Albanian court ruling recognized their ownership, though the case remains under appeal.

Environmental and Public Access Concerns Grow

The project has also sparked protests in Albania and concerns from the European Union over potential impacts on wildlife, including flamingos, seals and sea turtles that inhabit the protected wetland area.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the project, saying it is legal and that environmental protections will remain in place. The development company says its goal is to create jobs and showcase Albania’s natural beauty.

Residents and their lawyer plan to seek a court order to halt construction, arguing that development should not proceed until ownership questions are fully resolved. The controversy highlights Albania’s long-running land ownership disputes, many of which date back to property seizures during the communist era.