Where are Afghans taking refuge in Kosovo?

About 700 Afghans, which through several flights were brought to Kosovo, will remain indefinitely isolated, most of them at the street construction company camp, Bechtel-Enka, and the rest in the US Army camp, Bondstheel.

The Bechtel-Enka camp where most Afghans are sheltered is located in Ferizaj, about 40 km from Pristina and less than three kilometers from Camp Bondsteel.

Interior Minister Jhelal Svecla explained to Radio Free Europe, the reasons why Afghans who are sheltered in Kosovo are being kept closed.

Because of the circumstances our country finds itself in, due to procedures to supply them with necessary documents, but also due to pandemic and security, they are currently free to circulate within the complexes where they are located. The days we're coming we're going to prepare to make it possible for them even freedom of movement”, Svechla said.

Minister Svechla stressed that they can move with any assistance only on special occasions.

“For urgent reasons they can move or we can assist, but currently because of circumstances, they must stay within the complexes where they are”, he said.

The Afghans standing in Kosovo are mainly people who have worked in different qualities for the American Army, as well as other NATO Allied forces, who have operated in Afghanistan in the last 20 years.

A total of 683 Afghan nationals who fled Afghanistan have been sheltered in Kosovo so far after the Taliban militants took over the state.

The operation of bringing other Afghans to Kosovo has not yet been completed, has confirmed NATO Free Europe Radio.

“We are working closely with the institutions in Kosovo, which have agreed to wait for the evacuees and identify the Bechtel object that will serve as temporary accommodation until we identify the options of restoration”, the NATO response is said.

About 2,000 people are expected to temporarily settle in Kosovo, while they await completion of documentation to be placed on permanent grounds in the United States.

Rights that law guarantees to Afghans in Kosovo

Memli Ymeri, project co-ordinator in the Civil Rights Programme, says the group of Afghans standing in Kosovo has guaranteed rights based on the Law on asylum in Kosovo.

According to him, the group of Afghans taking refuge in Kosovo, with government decisions enjoying international protection and that their status is in temporary protection.

In this context, Ymer said, even freedom of movement, which, according to him, may in some cases, be limited by safety.

If security institutions find that the person is in danger of getting out, then freedom of movement can be banned. This is also true of the last group of Afghans. In this case, at the government's decision, where the reasonable causes were mentioned, the free movement outside of camp” could also be banned, says Ymer.

Apart from the right to freedom of movement, temporary defense Afghans are guaranteed other rights.

They are offered health assistance, and if there are young children, they should be offered access to education, association freedom in associations and others. There are certain tax rights marked (in the Law for Azi), the rights they do not enjoy are that they do not have the right to participate in elections, to be elected, to work in state institutions, and others”, Ymer adds.

Saturday: Afghans in Kosovo are not endangered by anyone

The expert international relations and Washington-based security issues, Adrian Stetun, estimates that Kosovo is a safe place where evacuated Afghans should feel secure if they are allowed to move out of the camps.

I have no reason to think that the Afghans sheltered in Kosovo will face any uncertainty if they are allowed to leave the camp where they are sheltered. In Albania they are moving freely and are not reported for any incidents so far”, Steun tells Radio Free Europe.

Staten says Afghans who have been sheltered in Kosovo and the region should not be seen as irregular immigrants passing illegal borders and potentially pose a threat to public order.

“They are people who are officially evacuated by American authorities and who are in the process of reviewing status for receiving special immigration visas from the State Department”, Steuni says.

He says that by the moment of visa migration equipment, long processes of completing necessary security documentation and verifications must be passed.

This is a somewhat long and detailed process, so it takes time, but according to American authorities those who have been evacuated have passed some of the stages of the security verification process”, Steun points out.

Afghans in the region

In Albania, hundreds of Afghans have been sheltered in hotels in Durres, some in Strygin and others in the Student City buildings in Tirana.

Northern Macedonia has sheltered about 149 Afghans, and according to the Macedonian government they do not have the freedom of movement limited “unless there are restrictions on measures against COVID-19”

Macedonian authorities told Radio Free Europe that they have provided adequate conditions to help Afghan citizens pass this period as easily as possible.

The shelterers in this state, who have taken their families, have worked in non-governmental international organisations, some for Transparency International organisation, as well as others for the World Economic Forum.

US doesn't send suspicious people to Kosovo

In recent days some American media reported that the United States will send to Kosovo a number of Afghans who have not passed the security verification process and have needed additional verifications.

Some reported that there were people among them who were suspected of having connections with the Taliban.

But through a public reaction, the US Embassy in Pristina, on Saturday evening, September 4th, dismissed reports that the US will send to Kosovo Afghans who are considered unacceptable to this state.

According to the American Embassy, the process through which Afghans apply for special emigrating visas or refugee status in the United States is complex.

Some applicants are still in the process of obtaining necessary documents and providing all information required to qualify for immediate access under US law”, the statement said.

The Associated Press agency, citing an American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that the US will use military camp, Bondsteel, who houses the American Army near Kosovo's capital, for further examination and verification of evac.

Radio Free Europe has asked the American Embassy in Pristina how many Afghans will need additional verifications that can be sent to Kosovo, but embassy officials have not returned.

On the issue of Afghan evacuees, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani developed it with US Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It was a pleasure to speak with President Vjosa Osmani yesterday to express the thanks of our nation for Kosovo that hosted the endangered Afghans at Camp Bondsteel”, Vice President Harris wrote on her Facebook account.

On August 29th, the Washington Post reports that about 300 National Security Department employees have been sent abroad to conduct biometric verifications as well as biographies of evacuated Afghans.

According to this medium, those who passed the verification to settle in the U.S. will pass additional verifications as soon as they get there until it was reported that some of them were sent back to other countries after security concerns have been raised.

NATO: Trying to make Afghans easy on Kosovo
On 16 August, Kosovo approved the United States' request to accommodate a number of Afghans who had worked with foreign forces.

The US request was that Kosovo authorities shelter Afghans who felt insecure under the new Taliban regime for years, under dangerous circumstances, had worked as interpreters for American military troops as well as other NATO military forces that had operated in Afghanistan.

Washington-based international relations and security issues expert Adrian Steun estimates that the acceptance of Afghans from Kosovo has echoed internationally.

The partnership is known not only to be empowered with slogans and grateful expressions but, above all, by concrete actions. In this case, Kosovo has proved to be a reliable partner of the United States”, Steun points out.

Since hundreds of thousands of people who wanted to flee the new Taliban regime were gathered at Kabul International Airport, about 700 Afghan citizens arrived in Kosovo.

So far, they are located in a camp that was exploited by the road construction company Bechtel-Enka at the exit of Ferizaj's town.

North-Atlantic alliance (NATO) told Radio Free Europe that agreement with Kosovo institutions is to facilitate evacuation and further movement of Afghan staff working for NATO, in different capacities, as well as their families.

In NATO, they say they are in close communication with institutions in Kosovo, as well as with Afghans themselves, to ensure that they have access to activities and assistance that can be provided.

As an example, we are offering comfort items like toys and games for many children. Our goal is to ensure that their temporary position is productive and comfortable”, says the chief of public relations at the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Jason Salata.

American authorities have announced that some 130,000 Afghans have been evacuated from Afghanistan, which constituted the largest evacuation ever in US history.

The most widely evacuated were sent to other Transit states such as Germany, Spain, Qatar and Kuwait where they are going through verification processes before they have the opportunity to migrate to the U.S. or gain refugee status, which is procedures that in some cases last more than a year.

In Kosovo, Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla has repeatedly said that the Afghans' stance on Kosovo's territory will be very temporary, saying it may be only a matter of weeks before they are sent to the US or any other NATO member. /Rel