Over 170 thousand citizens left Kosovo for 5 years

Migrating Kosovo's citizens through different countries, mainly European ones, despite the perception that there has been growth, according to official data has marked decline.

According to a report released days ago by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Government of Kosovo, it is said that, on average, 2013-2017 per year, up to 35 thousand Kosovo citizens have emigrated.

During 2013 é 2017, from Kosovo, according to these data, which account for the Kosovo Statistics Agency, have emigrated more than 170 thousand citizens. This data has included regular and irregular migration and that a considerable number emigrated seeking asylum.

The migration trend in the Republic of Kosovo is said to have seen a steady increase until 2016, since post 2016 migration has seen significant decline.

The largest number of citizens who migrated from the country during this period was 2015, when more than 75 thousand citizens emigrated from Kosovo, most of them in irregular form. Until, in 2017, migration has seen a decline in some 12,000 citizens. Most immigrants for 2017 were regular immigrants, and the reasons were family union, marriages, employment, study, etc.

Kosovo citizens, according to Interior Ministry data, emigrated mainly to European Union countries, but there were also citizens who were registered to emigrate to the United States and Canada.

As far as data is concerned for 2018, they have not yet been finalised by Kosovo authorities, but according to some data given to Radio Europe Free of charge by Interior Ministry officials, it shows that the migration trend has marked a decline even during 2018.

Sefedin Kuci, head of the Division for Planning and Statistics at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tells Radio Free Europe that the data for the total number of Kosovo immigrants for 2018 is unknown, but it is known that there are about 3,500 citizens who have sought asylum in EU countries during 2018.

“In terms of migration, in general, including issues involving trends over these years, have been positive with regard to irregular migration, which means that we have had a significant decline in irregular migration. If we look at the aspect of asylum seekers in EU countries, migration in 2018 has been at the lowest point of asylum seekers. Of the 67,000 asylum applications, which were in 2015, this figure in 2018 was 3515 - a significant decline. We think this trend of fall will also be in 2019”, says Kuci.

He stresses that about 98 per cent of these asylum requirements of Kosovo citizens in EU countries during 2018 have been rejected.

In 2018 we have had a change in countries where Kosovo citizens have sought asylum. Before 2018, countries where Kosovo citizens sought more asylum were Germany, France, Austria. . when this has changed in rankings during 2018, 58 percent of Kosovars have sought asylum in France and in Germany 16 percent in Italy 9 percent and so on”, says Kuci.

This trend of falling irregular migration, Kuci adds, will have a positive impact on visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens, who are the only ones in Western Balkan countries who cannot travel to the Schengen zone without visas.

Representatives of organisations for human rights protection of the migration of Kosovo citizens to different countries of the world consider it very disturbing.

Behxhet Shala, executive director of the Council for Protection of Freedoms and Human Rights in Kosovo, tells Radio Free Europe that the migration of Kosovo citizens to the countries of the world is a struggle for existence.

Kosovo adds it is a country which is not offering basic conditions to its citizens and the perspective of young people.

“Engration is taking place for the fact that there is a shortage of jobs. Young people, though completing professional studies or schools, cannot find a job. Nepotism has taken root in Kosovo, if you do not have political support you cannot find a job and in the absence of perspective, they are forced to leave the country and do a job that is not incompatible with their qualifications, but they are forced to leave for a better life”, Shala says.

He says young people from Kosovo are emigrating by crossing dangerous roads and you are risking your life.

“Young people from Kosovo are being forced to emigrate -- that is not their wish, but it is a solution imposed by difficult economic and social conditions and without perspective. Emigration has become a must to support the” family, Shala says.

Shala points out that the most disturbing is the fact that this phenomenon is trying to be downplayed by the country's authorities, which he says has the main responsibility for this migration.

On the other hand, Avni Mazrek, professor of European Law, speaking of Radio Free Europe, says that the number of citizens who are leaving the country is disturbing and that despite that, Mazrek says, Kosovo institutions are neglecting this phenomenon.

I think Kosovo is being consumed with several other topics, which the topic is actually marginalising these real topics involving the country's economic development, because without the economic development of the country, there can be no political or social stability of that country, in this case of Kosovo”.

Therefore it is disturbing how little publicity, how little media, public and institutional emphasis is given to this phenomenon, when entire villages are almost empty. This is also evident in the number of students enrolled at primary, secondary, and university levels. This whole approach, public and media, from civil society, but even institutional, I think it's very disturbing”, Mazrek says.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs report noted that high migration would also affect population structure in the years following after it was estimated that the overwhelming proportion of migration had included new groups, mostly 25-44 years old.

Disturbing, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, remains the migration of highly educated citizens.

“Emigration is taking place because of the best career opportunities and socioeconomic conditions in destination countries, such as doctors are evidently moving to Germany. Based on this, Kosovo is gradually facing the phenomenon of brain drain or loss of key”, the Ministry report says.

Kosovo's native population living abroad in 2017 is estimated to be more than 800 thousand, equivalent to 46.36 percent of the population living in Kosovo.

According to the recent Kosovo population census, conducted in 2011, the number of Kosovo citizens is estimated to be around 1.8 million.