Shahini: Kosovo lacks an effective package of measures for the return of emigrants

The President of the Alliance of Kosovo Businesses, Agim Shahini, says that Kosovo does not have an effective package of measures to ensure the return of emigrants, adding that over 213,000 people have left Kosovo in the past four years.

In a statement for Kosovo Online, Shahini emphasizes that the greatest tragedy is the significant number of citizens currently waiting in European Union embassies for work visas, hoping to leave in search of a better life.

"Unfortunately, there are no incentives for return. Many of our citizens live abroad, across the Balkans, and consider Kosovo their homeland. They dream of Kosovo, but there isn’t an adequate package of measures to enable their return. Many of our citizens who left after the war have settled worldwide. Those who went to Europe have, more or less, already established themselves there," Shahini explained.

Speaking about Serbs who wish to return to Kosovo, Shahini said that since 2022, more than 150 have returned and integrated, but this number is small compared to those who want to come back.

"The government of Kosovo needs to prepare a package of measures, not just to build houses, but also to address how people will live after that, because a house is not enough. For members of the Serbian community who want to return, Kosovo must first ensure security, then provide a house or apartment, and finally, employment opportunities," Shahini stated, adding that the Ministry for Return has launched a website where people can directly apply for return programs.

Shahini also notes that the best proposals for emigrants tend to surface during election campaigns but are often abandoned afterward.

"Right now, politicians have packages of proposals, but after the elections, these promises are forgotten, as if they were never made. We have tried all the political parties in Kosovo, both Albanian and Serbian, which is why citizens should choose parties that deliver on their promises, not those that promise a lot but do nothing," he concluded.