Shahini: Kosovo is not attractive to immigrants, it is mainly used as a transit route to Europe

Kosovo is not a final destination for migrants, but primarily a transit territory on the way to European Union countries, Agim Shahini, President of the Alliance for Kosovo Businesses, told Kosovo Online.

According to him, Kosovo, as well as North Macedonia and Serbia, are mainly used as transit points for people coming from Africa and Arab countries.

“Kosovo is not a country people come to in order to live. They mostly use Kosovo, Macedonia, and Serbia as transit. They mainly come from Arab countries and from Africa. They stay for a few months and then travel onward to Europe,” he states.

He explains that Kosovo does not have the conditions to be an attractive destination for the long term stay of foreign nationals.

“Kosovo does not have such conditions for foreign emigrants, but it meets certain standards, which is why they use it as transit and then continue toward Europe,” he points out.

Speaking about the basis for obtaining residence permits, Shahini emphasizes that almost no one comes for employment.

“There are none who come here for work, because wages are low. Some wait for documentation, such as work visas, temporary ID cards, or passports, but there are not many of them,” our interlocutor says.

According to him, Western Balkan countries in general are not attractive in the long term for foreign migrants.

“Balkan countries do not have a promising future that could attract them to come here. Only people fleeing wars come, they stay temporarily, but they do not remain for a longer period,” he emphasizes.

Referring to population movements within the region, Shahini notes that citizens of Kosovo occasionally choose other Western Balkan countries.

“When you look at salary levels in the Balkan countries, Kosovo again has a lower average, but we have a better quality of life. For example, Montenegro is one of the countries with higher salaries, Albania as well, and Serbia too,” the expert from Pristina says.

However, he stresses that even these destinations are not chosen as a permanent solution.

“But even there, people do not go for a long time, only briefly, until they sort out some paperwork and find a way to move to the European Union,” Shahini states.