Kosovo has extradited and deported about 350 people since 2017

About 350 people have been deported and extradited from Kosovo's territory to various world states since 2017 until now, Kosovo Government officials say.

The competent authorities in Kosovo last year have extradited 44 people from the Republic of Kosovo to other states or vice versa. According to Justice Ministry data, out of 44 people, 25 were extraditions from other states to Kosovo, while 15 persons were extradited from Kosovo's territory to other countries.

Currently, there are two cases of extradition from Kosovo to other states, Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri said.

Meanwhile, 4 extraditions have been the tranche, where the Ministry of Justice has granted permission to exploit the territory of the Republic of Kosovo.

There have been various cases of extradition, starting with murder, heavy theft, trafficking of human beings, trafficking of narcotics. I have already signed two extraditions of foreign citizens who have been to Kosovo and have been requested by their countries”, Tahiri told Radio Free Europe

In a response from this ministry, the largest number of extraditions have been carried out with countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and so forth.

Extradition

Extradition takes place when a person commits a criminal offence in a certain state and during the criminal procedure, or after terming the sentence, leaves in another state with the intent to avoid punishment.

In this case, the State in which the fugitive is found hands the person over to the exact state where he has committed a criminal act.

This issue in Kosovo is regulated under the Law for International Legal Co-operation in Criminal Affairs, adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo in 2011.

Under this law, the “person could be extradited in order to prosecute or execute sentence. The procedure for extradition of a person is initiated only on the basis of the written prayer of the research state to the Ministry”.

On the other hand, the organisation that takes on human rights in Kosovo emphasises that competent authorities in Kosovo in all cases have observed legal procedures for implementing extraditions and departure of people who clash with the law.

Behxhet Shala, executive director of the Council for Protection of Freedoms and Human Rights in Kosovo, (KMLDNJ) tells Radio Free Europe that up to the deportation of six Turkish citizens, Kosovo authorities have respected the legal basis for extradition and deportation.

The “those who have made the decision to extradite have seized all possibilities of opposition and when legal opportunities have been exhausted have been extradited. Extradition is a phenomenon that happens in Kosovo often, but it goes quietly because it does not produce any effect. They are extradited after someone committed crimes, someone else's criminal act. This is perfectly normal”, Shala says.

Deportation

Another form of expulsion of foreign citizens is deportation. About 320 is the number of foreign citizens who have been deported from 2017 until now from Kosovo to different European countries and beyond.

Deportations are implemented in two forms, according to the Court's decision and the forced exits that are issued and executed by the Directorate for Migration and Foreign Affairs, the post under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said Deputy Minister Izmi Zeka.

This implies that these foreign citizens were subjected to a judicial procedure -- namely, they have been charged with various criminal acts and the provisional deportation -- was executed by the Directorate for Migration and Foreign Affairs at the request of Court”.

“The orders are forcibly removed and executed by the Directorate for Migration and Foreign Affairs. These decisions are issued against foreign citizens in accordance with the Foreign Law”, Zeka stressed.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Izmi Zeka told Radio Free Europe mostly deposits from Kosovo to other countries have been realised for Albania, Turkey and Serbia.

According to Interior Ministry data, 15 deposits were executed by the court in 2017, and 246 were carried out by force.

From Kosovo to Albania, from last year until this month, 264 people have been evacuated, in Turkey 15, in Macedonia 6 people, 5 in Serbia, while fewer than 5 people have been deported to Bulgaria, Colombia, the Philippines, Bosnia Hercegovaina, Tunisia and Pakistan.

“are various criminal acts that they have done in Kosovo. It means those who were deported to the Court's decision are the smallest number of”.

The main reason for most of these forced evacuation orders, both for 2017 and 2018, is that these persons have been encountered illegally standing on Kosovo's territory, which means they are contrary to the Foreign Law”, Zeka said.

Deportation of Turkish Citizens

In March, Kosovo security authorities in co-operation with Turkish intelligence have arrested and later deported from Kosovo to Turkey six people, five of whom worked in educational institutions in Kosovo and one in those health institutions.

Reasoning on Kosovo's security authorities for the removal of six Turkish citizens has been that these people pose a danger to national security.

The move had prompted the reactions of top state leaders, but also the international factor in Kosovo.

Behxhet Shala from KMLDNJ stresses that competent authorities in this case have violated all legal norms by violating human rights.

There was no extradition or deportation, but it was the kidnapping of people, extreme abuse of law and human rights, and all legal, moral, human rights, etc.

The “has not given you the opportunity to use any legal right to counter eventual deportation, and for that reason we have reacted and will react”, Shala said.

Restitution

The repatriation also represents a form of acceptance of citizens from other countries, accommodated them again with their mother's country.

From last year until now, about 5,000 people have been returned voluntarily or forced from other states in Kosovo. This year alone, 450 persons were repatriated.