Kosovo to return another 100 remaining to Syria

The Kosovo government is making recent preparations to return to Kosovo about 100 other Kosovars who are found in Syria, says Interior Affairs Minister Ekrem Mustafa. In a conversation for Radio Free Europe. The incumbent minister, Mustafa, said I cannot give too many details, but are currently holding talks with Turkey about the return of these people.

“in detail cannot be promoted. But, now we are very interested in the Turkish state, not any of the persons (Kosovars) who have been in the camps have gone to the Turkish”, Mustafa said.

The number is roughly known, but it is not large now, because 110 are brought to Kosovo. The number of other people ( expected to return) is brought in, Mustafa says.

In April of this year, institutions returned to Kosovo 110 Kosovars, among them four fighters who were part of terrorist organisations in Syria, 32 women and 74 children.

Minister Mustafa said institutions have information on the persons who find in Syria and are expected to return to Kosovo. According to him, there are more fighters in this group, unlike the first operation conducted in April, through which only four fighters were returned to Kosovo.

“In the second contingent, there are more people who have participated in war, but still more have children and women”, Mustafa said.

The return of 110 Kosovars in April was done through aid provided by the United States.

In partnership with the US, Kosovo authorities are also planning the new operation, but for the timelines and way of developing the operation, Minister Mustafa refused to disclose or provide more information.

As if it was the past. It means we take responsibility for integration, transfer, 72 hours, transfer to their settlements. If there are people who have no permanent residence, such as family or somewhere, we also provide you with permanent accommodations. It is a special fund that is destined only for this problem”, Mustafa says.

Kosovo security field recognisers say it is necessary to verify the risk of any person who might return from Syria to Kosovo, especially those suspected of being part of terrorist groups.

Back Bala from the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies says integration of returnees is a major challenge for Kosovo, as it is still not known whether the reintegration of the first group of 110 Kosovars to return from Syria in April of this year has succeeded.

I think it should happen as it did with the first process, where they have already made some assessment of the women who have returned and are still continuing the investigation. So, I think there should be a little bit of the same approach that before these people come to Kosovo, they have to assess their risk and therefore implement the law that most of them have to suffer punishments for acts related to terrorisation and participation in foreign wars”, Bala said.

The success of Syria's reintegration process, according to QKSS's Bala Cave, depends on other factors, such as the willingness of society to accept these people in their community, and also on how many institutions will create access to control and then their systems on the labour market.

The most difficult job for institutions, according to Bala, will be with foreign fighters returning to Kosovo, taking into account that some who are currently in prison serving sentences have refused reintegration programmes.

Some of the activities that have been undertaken within prisons have only been rejected by prisoners, such as legalising the Islamic Community of Kosovo imams. Therefore, I think that institutions should be more concentrated in the Kosovo Correcting Service so that they can provide the necessary mechanisms that will be possible to reintegration of these persons”, Bala said.

From the beginning of the conflict in Syria in 2012, some 400 Kosovars, including men, women and children, traveled to Syria and Iraq in 2012,.

More than 70 Kosovars were killed fighting sides of terrorist organisations, respectively, the militant group Islamic State (IS).

Those who managed to return to Kosovo faced court processes, some of whom are serving sentences, while there are 32 women returning in April from Kosovo authorities.