Security expert: Kosovo has capacity to house up to 10,000 Afghans

Security expert Nuredin Ibishi says that the willingness of the state of Kosovo to co-operate with the American state to house Afghan refugees is good political gesture. But as he put it, for Kosovo, this will be a major challenge in terms of security and the economy.

Ibishi stresses that the Kosovo state has the capacity to accommodate up to 10,000 people.

This is good in a political way and we've already gone through that phase that we've been set up to nearly 1 million people, but the other aspect of deployment according to capacity, but other financial, economic and security issues are more limited, pose challenges for us. Now, as far as the possibility is concerned, there's been some early or preliminary talks with the American leadership and I believe that preparations have become complete even though this has gone on an unprecedented short notice. [...] More than 10,000, given that this is the first wave of refugees that it can be met both with the arrival of their families eventually and with their definition of a different target”, he stressed.

For Nuredin Ibishin the security institutions in Kosovo, they must freeze alertness in terms of security and verification of each of the refugees who will take refuge in us.

The “in this phase we have from the U.S. a security verification as far as it can be done, that they are part of the civic-afgan coalition, but that's why the Taliban have released all those al-Qaeda militants, Al-Nusra, over 5 thousand, can easily infiltrate this wave of refugees, that's why we should be careful of the security sector even though they're prepared very well for this issue, we need to be careful to verify them during the stay here and that they're under surveillance of the <1x>

While for the Council for Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, our country does not have the capacity to accommodate large numbers of refugees and that it will hardly be managed with them.

KMDLNj Director Behxhet Shala stressed that Kosovo has no material and logistical opportunities to shelter many refugees from Afghanistan.

He also sees trouble in the face of respect for human rights because these refugees will first be closed, and this, according to him, represents human rights violations. While, for Shala, placing them in freedom could pose a risk to Kosovo security.

Kosovo currently has no capacities, no materials, no logistics to accommodate so many refugees. If, in the meantime, the government of Kosovo links partnerships with large world organisations dealing with refugee issues may count not soon but in longer planning to accommodate specific numbers of refugees from Afghanistan. It is normal that those who are endangered in a state and if they seek asylum support in Kosovo, it is their accession procedure, it is the deadline for refugee or asylumant or denied. [...] I think it will be a problem and it will be a great challenge for Kosovo for the fact that if we keep these refugees closed, it seems that they will be kept in closed objects, then we will immediately be charged with human rights violations. [...] If in an uncontrolled approach you release 3-4 thousand people, then it will be a problem to manage the situation because we don't really know if there are all those who come only opponents of the Taliban, or maybe among them there are undercover Talibans that Kosovo has no surveillance capacity and in a long-term plan if no quick solution is going to bring trouble to Kosovo because I don't see it being temporarily here”, Shala stressed.

Shala says Afghan refugees seeking refuge in the state of Kosovo are supposed to be stationed in the former German KFOR camp in Prizren and the French KFOR camp in Majourna, Vushtrri.

“There is no way to accommodate 10,000 people, they are meant to be accommodated in the German KFOR camp in Prizren, to be accommodated in the French KFOR camp in Majuni in Vushtrri and elsewhere, but it is a problem to settle without reflection or influence in nearby populations. It's not a problem to provide food and other things because these are going to assure those who bring them here, but it's the problem of keeping them under our control”, he said.

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, who said Kosovo should be voluntarily offered to house Afghan dissidents.

Recalling past experiences with the repatriation of Kosovars who have been to war centres, Haradinaj said that would not have been possible without the help of the United States and that our country should know to invest in such partnerships.

I've made an official statement, I've been the first public character I've asked that Kosovo voluntarily be offered to house the dissidents, it's about the specific movement of a people who've been allies with our allies, in this case with America, West, to take refuge in Kosovo with its capacity. It later resulted that Kosovo's institutions and all have been pro, so we welcome those who ask for our help in these situations, and I have also been called to the fact that I have personally seen the help of America that has helped us bring back mothers and children, because as you know there are Albanian mothers and children who are being held in war camps in Syria, it has been impossible for us to withdraw without the help of America, and it's great luck that we can co-operate with America in this case and the Afghans, or others in Afghanistan, to continue this co-operation that you have seen, so Kosovo needs to know how to invest its security with its citizens and its global security, but it's been also stated in the afternoon, Harada.

Kosova Prees has tried to get a statement from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Office of the Prime Minister, but did not want to speak, while yesterday by the executive said that by July they have been in contact with American authorities to accommodate Afghans who worked with American forces in Afghanistan.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that without any hesitation it is the behaviour of Afghan refugees in Kosovo, such as humanitarian surgery, initiated by the human principle “that they do not close the doors to those who, without the blame and their desire, are obliged to leave their seats, escape persecutions and save”.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghan left the country for Tajikistan on 15 August and his government collapsed as Taliban militants entered the Afghan capital, Kabul. The Taliban have taken control of half of the capital's districts and the presidential Palace, as diplomatic missions are rushing to evacuate their personnel.