Shahini: A new migrant wave possible after the war in the Middle East, the Balkans again a transit route

Agim Shahini, President of the Alliance for Kosovo Businesses, warned in a statement to Kosovo Online that a worsening of global crises could lead to a new migrant wave, with the Balkans, including Kosovo, once again becoming a transit zone toward Western Europe.

Speaking about the global consequences of the conflict, he noted that, in addition to the economy, broader effects on migration are also expected.

“We do not yet have migration from Arab countries because there is a state of war and people cannot even move. However, when the war ends, people will have nowhere to return and will not have anything to eat or drink,” he said, emphasizing that around 80 percent of food products in those countries are imported, while about 20 percent of petroleum products are exported.
Because of all this, he warns of a major crisis that will follow once the war ends.

“There will be a major crisis there after the war, and for us there is already a major crisis while the war is ongoing because we have significantly increased prices of petroleum products,” he added.

Asked about the possibility of a new migrant wave, Shahini assessed that Europe is not fully prepared.

“Europe, as we see, is not even prepared for war. If a new wave of migration occurs, each country will treat migrants in accordance with its laws,” he said.

He states that the Balkans, including Kosovo, will likely once again be a transit zone.

“Kosovo is small, but we have migrants from various countries, especially from Arab countries. The same situation exists across the Balkans. Serbia will be a transit country, as will Kosovo, because all of them intend to go to Germany and other countries where they have better living conditions,” Shahini concluded.