Kosovo this year triple more asylum seekers from the Middle East

We've had a triple increase over the past year. In the past year, we have had a total of 594 asylum or asylum application requests, and so far we have 1934 in advance of asylum demand”, said Fitim Zariqi, who heads the shelter centre in the municipality of Lipjan, about 20km south of Pristina.

But, most of the housing seekers have already left Kosovo. Initiators from the Middle East are exploiting the road through Kosovo to move to European Union countries.

Mr. Zariqi says most of them come from Syria, Iraq, Algeria, Palestine, Morocco and many other countries of birth. It shows the way these immigrants follow up to Kosovo.

“Dicu from 80 to 90 percent enter Albania's territory - Turkey, Greece, Albania and Kosovo. There are also moving from Greece-Macedonia-Kosovo, we have from Serbia entering Kosovo but also from Montenegro, but we also have at Pristina International Airport. If we talk about gender, over 80 percent are males, about 80 percent are about 30 years of age, over 97 percent if we talk from religious perspective, they are of Islamic faith. Whether it is legal or illegal entry, it is over 95 percent that have entered Kosovo territory illegally and if we talk about the days of stay in Kosovo it is about 12 days”, Mr. Zariqi said.

One of the immigrants in this centre is also 30-year-old Isam Knorr Abohalab, which comes to Deir ez-Zur, Syria. He says he has come to Kosovo with his brother, while the rest of the family is in Turkey.

“We've been at war for a long time against I SIS, it's been a very heavy and difficult time for all of us. I thank all the people here who have helped us live in Kosovo”, he said.

I came to Kosovo to find a place to feel safe. First I went to Greece, but there I found nothing and then decided to come to Kosovo because it is a very good place to compare it with other countries”, Isam Knorr Abohalab said.

He says that in Greece it has been eight months, since then it has gone to Albania, where it has stayed about a month. Isam Knorr Abohalab says he came to Kosovo six months ago.

For now I've decided to stay here and start a new life. I've made a lot of friends in Kosovo, I'm learning the language and then finding a job, but all of this after I finish the procedures here in housing centre”, he said.

The rise in the number of housing seekers from Middle Eastern countries passing through Kosovo, according to experts, is a consequence of strengthening controls on the border between northern Macedonia and Serbia.

Skender Pertesh from the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies says the country is currently not endangered by immigrants.

The growth of the number coming from the Middle East does not pose a direct threat to Kosovo's national security, and this is more of a risk to those individuals who pass major risks to cross borders illegally through organisations or individuals who are part of organised groups that make their transport through Serbia and other countries”, said Mr. Perteshi.

He says however, authorities should increase care to prevent any large wave of migrants.

“Law enforcement centres, the interior ministry and other relevant institutions should increase alertness in this direction because even Kosovo does not have many capacities either at asylum centres or other centres that can afford a greater influx of people who might seek asylum or use Kosovo as a transitative country, but these individuals or as part of these groups may come and other individuals who may have different goals towards the state of Kosovo, but not the countries of the European Union”, said Mr Perteshi.

Fitim Zariqi from the shelter centre says most migrants have already left Kosovo's territory going through other countries. He explains their accession procedures.

“Following the legal procedure, in the case of the search for asylum at the border at a police station or in the asylum centre they are then accommodated in this object or other objects of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, provided with a certificate for asylum within three days, within seven days equipped with identification for asylum, then free to move free across the territory of Kosovo in case it has not stopped you on specific issues or at the request of judges, prosecutors or law or law bodies. They're free to move from 7 to 22. At 22 o'clock, they must return to the centre, unless then the asylum centre announces the border police, migration police that the person has not returned to the asylum centre and his location” is unknown, said Mr. Zariqi.

Isam Knorr Abohalab says that in Kosovo people have welcomed him and that he feels like home. He hopes that many immigrants in Kosovo will not come to Kosovo so the situation does not get worse.

There are few refugees here and it's good if thousands come to Greece, perhaps the situation would get worse here and I hope that the Kosovo government has a solution to that. For now, Kosovo is managing the situation well”, he said. / VoA