Savkovic: Through migrant Reception Centers, Pristina seeks to draw closer to its allies

Senior advisor at the ISAC Fund, Marko Savkovic, stated for Kosovo Online that EU countries are attempting to resolve the “burning issue” of migration by relocating migrants to third countries through “reception centers,” and that Kosovo has identified this as an opportunity “to get closer to its allies.”

According to The Times, Kosovo is on a shortlist of nine countries being considered as potential destinations for establishing several UK-operated “return centers” for migrants.

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti promptly expressed support for this possibility.

Savkovic said that this indeed represents a kind of “opportunity for Kosovo.”

“Authorities in Pristina clearly see this as a way to further align themselves with countries they consider allies—to do them a favor. Do they have the capacity? I assume they can build whatever is necessary, even if they don’t currently have it, and Western governments would likely support that. This is how one burning issue gets resolved. Anyone following migration policy, criminal justice issues, and prison overcrowding in Western Europe knows this is a way for governments to get out of an uncomfortable situation,” Savkovic emphasized.

He added that the fate of migrants has so far remained largely under the public radar.

“It is indeed an opportunity for Kosovo, though perhaps not an ideal one. It might be better if they were in a position to offer something more sophisticated—some unique comparative advantage—but this is the reality. Everyone uses what they have, and so does the government in Pristina,” Savkovic concluded.

Marko Savkovic explains that the issue of migration is currently at the forefront of attention for officials in many European and global countries, with the most pressing development being the United Kingdom’s attempt to reach a similar agreement with Albania to the one it concluded with Italy two years ago.

“At this moment, the most relevant development is the UK’s negotiations with Albania, considering that just last year over 50,000 irregular migrants were rejected after applying for asylum in the UK. These individuals now need to be returned to their countries of origin,” the analyst emphasizes.

He notes that a fundamental problem is that many migrants destroy their documents upon arriving in Western countries, making it extremely difficult to determine their country of origin—and thus where they should be returned.

“However, what’s particularly interesting in this case is the idea of temporarily relocating individuals to countries willing to receive them while their final status—whether they will be accepted or not—is decided. That’s why British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently spoke with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama during the European Political Community Summit to assess Albania’s readiness. I remind you that Albania signed such an agreement with Italy in 2023, agreeing to open two reception or transit centers for people Italy wants to relocate to a third country,” Savkovic explains.

In such cases, any country that agrees to establish a “reception center” on its territory effectively becomes an instrument of the countries relocating the migrants.

This also applies to Kosovo.

“I would say that, in principle, it acts as an instrument. But if this endeavor proves successful, it could elevate or confirm Kosovo’s status as a partner. For many countries in the West, Kosovo is already considered a partner,” Savkovic states.

He emphasizes that establishing such centers would not pose a security risk—neither for Kosovo nor for the wider Western Balkans—because everything would take place under “controlled conditions.”

“Let’s recall that a number of individuals who were fighters or family members of fighters for the Islamic State returned from Syria. At one point, Kosovo had one of the highest numbers of IS fighters per capita, along with Tunisia and some North African countries. We did not witness any deterioration in the security situation following their return. So whether we’re talking about irregular migrants or prisoners—and those two categories should be distinguished—everything will be conducted under strictly controlled conditions,” Savkovic says.

He adds that the entire process would be accompanied by proper guarantees and the establishment of control systems, confirmed through bilateral agreements with the countries deciding to relocate either prisoners or migrants.

“Italy’s plan from two years ago was halted by the Italian courts, so those two reception centers have not materialized. There is always a possibility—whether due to human rights concerns or other legal obstacles—that the whole deal might fall through. But I do not believe this would lead to any deterioration of the security situation,” Savkovic concludes.