▁fled ▁to ▁Alban ia ▁from ▁Roman ia ▁where ▁they ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁ens la ved , ▁to ▁sett le ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁and ▁other ▁territ ories ▁still ▁under ▁Ott oman ▁control . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁Alban ia ▁itself ▁achieved ▁independence ▁from ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁the ▁Roma ▁had ▁a ▁better ▁situation ▁than ▁in ▁Y ug oslav ia , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁still ▁treated ▁with ▁cont empt , ▁with ▁large ▁so cio e conom ic ▁g aps ▁between ▁Roma ▁and ▁Alban ians , ▁seg reg ated ▁neighborhood s , ▁and ▁" p ract ically ▁no ▁inter mar ri ages ▁between ▁Roma ▁and ▁non - R oma " ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Un like ▁in ▁many ▁Eastern ▁European ▁countries , ▁but ▁more ▁similarly ▁to ▁Jews ▁in ▁Alban ia , ▁Roma ▁were ▁not ▁har sh ly ▁per sec uted ▁and / or ▁sent ▁to ▁death ▁cam ps ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁during ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War . ▁For ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁Alban ia ▁was ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁an ▁Italian ▁pu ppet ▁regime . ▁Roma ▁did ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the ▁war , ▁with ▁many ▁fighting ▁in ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁military , ▁and ▁were ▁Roma ▁in ▁Alban ia , ▁Mac ed onia ▁and ▁Kos ovo ▁were ▁typically ▁support ive ▁of ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁and ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁authorities . ▁However , ▁although ▁left ▁mostly ▁un touch ed ▁by ▁both ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁and ▁by ▁Alban ian ▁national ists , ▁the ▁Roma ▁were ▁per sec uted ▁during ▁the ▁brief ▁German