Prishtina, 9 September 2017 –Deputy Minister for European Integration, Anila Statovci Demaj, hosted in a meeting to discuss recent developments with irregular migration from Kosovo, the Hungarian Ambassador to Kosovo Laszlo Markusz, German Deputy Ambassador Jan Axel Voss and First Secretary of the Austrian Embassy Eva Elisabeth Michlits.
On this occasion, Deputy Minister Statovci Demaj informed them about the current situation, institutional mobilization and available official data on what is happening with recent media reports on increased number of citizens to migrate irregularly. Deputy Minister Statovci Demaj said that: “Over the past few weeks, the Ministry of European Integration, in cooperation with relevant institutions, is monitoring the developments in this regard and the data so far shows that there is no increase in the number of those who are moving irregularly towards Hungary. There is no increase in demand for traveling to Serbia, and there are no demands to add new bus lines in this direction. There is information that certain people are organized in an attempt to deceive citizens that there is an illegal way to enter the Schengen borders, but I want to inform the citizens of Kosovo that in consultation with the EU member states we are informed that these are misinformation, and that the green zone at the border between Hungary and Serbia is closed too and that in case of eventual crossing, the Hungarian security authorities will take legal measures for irregular border crossing. In order for our citizens not to be misled by the smugglers, we appeal to our citizens not to take this road because, apart from material expense, they will be banned from entering Schengen for years”.
The same was confirmed by Ambassador Markusz and other representatives that at the same time there will be a ban on traveling to all those citizens who are found crossing through the borders of the Schengen area in an irregular manner. Kosovo is a safe country of origin and its citizens are not recognized the right of asylum in an EU member state.
For their part, the representatives of the EU Embassies in Kosovo were grateful to Kosovo’s institutions for showing to be proactive and taking appropriate measures to prevent a wave of irregular migration of Kosovo’s citizens as a consequence of the agendas of those who are aiming at the disinformation of the citizens and the material benefit to their detriment. Representatives of the above mentioned Embassies call upon the citizens of Kosovo not to fall prey to bad intentioned agendas and not to take the irregular path by endangering themselves and their family members.
Last modified: August 10, 2022
