Afghans are coming: What is Kosovo's capacity to accept refugees?

The United States has asked Kosovo to accept a portion of Afghan workers who have worked with foreign forces, but now feel insecure as the country is taken over by the Taliban.

So far, it is still not known how many Afghans will stay in Kosovo until they complete American visa procedures.

Citizens trying to get into Kabul airport while foreign states are evacuate people, even those who do not have visas, after the Taliban took over Kabul. Afghanistan, August 16, 2021.

The Kosovo government has approved the Interior Ministry's request for providing temporary and immediate protection to persons endangered by internal conflict in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Tuesday that the details of housing of Afghanistan's citizens in Kosovo are being discussed with the United States.

The team from Kosovo, comprised of Interior Minister Jalal Svechla and Prime Minister's cabinet chief Luan Dalipi, Kurti said, are in discussions with American partners and allies concerning the issue of Afghan housing.

Kosovo has the US main ally and irreplaceable strategic partner. The issue of refugee housing from Afghanistan, in addition to the aspect of humanism on our part, also has the dimension of alliance and partnership with the US. The United States has supported and supported us on a continuous basis and this is only a small part of our contribution against the help and great support for our people”, Kurti said.

Free Europe Radio has contacted the Government of Kosovo to receive details about the location of housing of Afghan citizens in Kosovo, the potential number of Afghan citizens expected to be accommodated, but also the capacities Kosovo has. However, they have not provided information.

Two nursing centers

Kosovo has two asylum seekers' centres one in the Lipjan Magur and one in the village of Vranidol in Pristina municipality.

These two centers have little capacity, and in optimum conditions, they can accept no more than 100 people.

A possible housing site has been cited as Prizren's Innovation and Training Park, which in the past served as German military camp.

The former German military camp consists of 40 hectares and 52 buildings.

Radio Free Europe has contacted representatives from the German Agency for International Co-operation (GIZ) who manage and develop Park.

They are not pronouncing on this subject, saying it is a bilateral issue between the Government of Kosovo and the US.

Free Europe Radio has been asked more questions to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to see the capacity of potential centres where Afghan citizens can be accommodated, but the same have not answered our questions.

Zeka: Kosovo can accept refugees, but briefly

On the other hand, Izmi Zeka, former deputy minister of home affairs, shows that at the time he was in this ministry in 2019, they worked on adapting some refugee facilities.

With the adaptation of these facilities and the two asylum seekers' centres, Zeka says Kosovo has the capacity for refugee housing no more than 3,500 people.

I believe that Kosovo has to have finished working around some of the objects that have been adapting and I believe that in optimum conditions up to 3,500 people will have the opportunity to accept. This is calculated in extraordinary cases”, he says, with REL.

Afghans at Kabul Airport on 16 August, as they try to leave the country after the Taliban entered Kabul on 15 August.

Kosovo, Zeka adds, with its capacity, can accept refugees, but not for long but short, as a transit nation and then we co-operate with the European Union or the United States to be deployed further.

In 2017, when Kosovo began to expect a number of refugees from Middle Eastern countries, authorities at the time had claimed to have a plan and were willing to house more than 3,000 refugees if necessary.

Kosovo has not had large numbers of refugees, but the country is mainly used as a transitor for different European countries.