In Kosovo immigration has not stopped

Based on data from the Kosovo statistics entity, for the period 2012-2016, it becomes known that Kosovo continues to have a high rate of migration with an annual average of 34,145 people. Only during 2016 have 8940 people emigrated from Kosovo. In total for the period 2012-2016, it is estimated that 122,657 people have migrated from Kosovo. This number includes legal migrations, but also illegal ones that for destination have EU countries, especially Germany.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs this week released the report “migration procedure 2016”, featuring a migration analysis and Kosovo policy trends that connect to migration. The number of Kosovo citizens with valid permission to stay in EU states and the Schengen zone in 2016 was 21,141. According to data from the European statistical agency, E UROSTAT, the largest number of Kosovars to have received residence permits, continues to be mostly concentrated in Germany with 47 percent of the total number of people with residence permits.

Second place is Italy with 12 percent, followed by France by 9 percent, Austria 9 percent, and Slovenia 7 percent. The reasons for getting permission to stay of Kosovo citizens in EU member states and the Schengen area are, family union, employment and education.

The irregular migration was a phenomenon Kosovo faced largely during the end of 2014 and early 2015. The flight figures were too high, although no one was able to say the exact number at that time. This wave of evacuations forced authorities in Hungary, Serbia, Austria and Germany to strengthen border controls, writes DW.

The data of Kosovo authorities, based on data provided by EU countries, shows that the number of Kosovo citizens who were occupied with illegal positions within the territory of EU member states and the Schengen zone in 2016 was 11,370 people. This indicates an apparent decline in number compared to the previous years, especially in 2015, which was 52,310. Germany is where the largest number of Kosovars are caught standing illegal.

Germany, but other EU member states, have already made it clear that political and economic asylum for Kosovo citizens -- except for some very specific case -- is unacceptable, because the European Union has already listed Kosovo on the list of safe countries.

The departure of Kosovo citizens to EU countries continues to this day, but in small numbers. However, a challenge for Kosovo authorities remains the repatriation of fugitives and their readmission on the basis of standards the EU requires.

The Kosovo government has so far signed bilateral agreements to re-admission migrants with 23 member states of the European Union. The implementation of these agreements is named an important factor in preventing and fighting irregular migration.

During 2016, 13,030 citizens of Kosovo have been re-admissioned, of whom expelled persons are in Kosovo 6,519 and volunteers assisted by the IOM organisation, 5,965 people. Volunteerly re-admission was accepted mostly by Kosovo Albanians, while, readmission or, forcibly from EU countries, included mostly members of the Roma community, Ashkali and Egypt, of Kosovo. The state that has mostly forcibly evacuated Kosovo's illegal immigrants continues to be Germany by 91 per cent, the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs data show.

Internal Affairs Ministry officials say that beneficiaries in the repatriation process are all repatriated persons who are citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and who submit benefits requirements from the Programme for Reintegration, where they must meet the criteria. Under legislation in effect, all beneficiaries are equally treated without discrimination on the basis of origin, ethnic, religious, racial or gender affiliation.

Help at the moment of arrival, waiting, recording of the system and informing persons repatriated immediately after arriving at Aeroport or other border crossing points. Medical assistance at the moment of arrival, in case of need. The Health Ministry is assured of the medical team's presence at border crossings. Transport security is also made to the municipality of origin and accommodation at the Retrained Persons Amodation Centre.

Emergency assistance and support up to 12 months after the return of repatriated persons includes: Rent, food and hygienic accommodation, compensation for drugs not found on the Essencial Barnas List, and winter aid package.

The repatriation program also included assistance and support for sustainable reintegration: construction and mobilization of homes, financing the establishment of business, and consulting services for business development, professional skills and wage-conventional employment, and organisation of language courses. In close co-operation with the Kosovo government ministries and municipalities, repatriated are assisted and assisted for access to pension, social and civil registry documents equipment.

All these services that Kosovo authorities are obliged to implement in the process of the repatriation programme are a huge burden for Kosovo, say representatives of organisations that are committed to human rights. In a report by the Council for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, it says that Kosovo, with its economic development situation, has no capacity to fulfil all obligations for the repatriated.

<x0) Governments in Kosovo have made a mistake where, due to integration processes involving the visa liberalisation process as a criterion of the European Commission, they have signed bilateral repatriation agreements with Western states, while not having been analysed by Kosovo's capacity to accept and integrate the repatriated”, a KMDLNJ statement said. Many repatriated persons have not been satisfied as they are written in the repatriation agreements, and this may be a cause that repatriated persons will think about leaving Kosovo again, the organisation stresses.