Unemployment Fuelling Increased Kosovo Emigration
High unemployment and an uncertain economic situation are the main reasons why people from Kosovo are increasingly emigrating to EU countries, a new study has suggested.
(kosovocompromisestuff) Tuesday, August 06, 2013
The Group for Legal and Political Studies, a Pristina-based NGO, said in its recently-published study that many of the people leaving Kosovo for EU countries were doing so for economic reasons.
"There is a general consensus amongst citizens that migration in Kosovo is caused by corruption, organised crime, the lack of the rule of law, the lack of a clear strategy on economic development and the high degree of unemployment," Dren Doli from the group said.
The group said that during the first part of 2013 it had observed "an increasing trend in the number of illegal immigrants seeking asylum in EU member states... mainly Hungary and Germany but also Scandinavian countries".
"Kosovo citizens, lately, have used Belgrade as a ‘gateway' to enter EU countries and ask for asylum once there," the study added.
It said that this became possible "since the freedom of movement [agreement with Serbia] was implemented in 2011".
Doli warned that the increased number of people from Kosovo claiming asylum could damage the EU visa liberalisation process.
"There is a high risk that the EU Commission could delay visa liberalisation for Kosovo because of the high migration potential Kosovo has had, especially during the last few months,"he said.
According to the analysis, people who live in the Mitrovica region are more likely to emigrate than those who live in the Pristina region.
"The fact that citizens of Mitrovica are more likely to emigrate than those from other regions is due to high unemployment and because of issues related to the north of Mitrovica and conflicts between Albanians and Kosovo Serbs," said Delfine Elshani, one of the people who drafted the analysis.
The group urged the Kosovo government to make unemployment in rural areas "a high priority.
It also stressed the need for policies to boost professional education for people aged between 15-24, the age group most willing to emigrate.
The study, entitled ‘Why Are the Kosovars Most Willing to Migrate to EU Countries?', used data from the survey ‘European Perspective in Kosovo 2012', conducted by UBO consulting, which interviewed a total of 1,500 people.
