Kosovo president wants illegal migration to stop

The president of Kosovo has urged citizens to stay in the country after reports that the number of people illegally migrating into European Union countries is rising.

Atifete Jahjaga told Kosovars that “running away” in search of prosperity would not solve their problems. Speaking in the town of Vushtrri, from where thousands of people have travelled to Serbia before making their way into the EU, he said it was time for citizens to do their part and help build the country.

He noted that Kosovo had endured a very difficult history, but said it was “disappointing” so many people thought the best option was to flee at a time when it was important to build for the future.

According to police figures, around 25,000 Kosovars have crossed illegally into Hungary since September. That figure equates to roughly 200 citizens fleeing Europe’s poorest nation on a daily basis from a country with a population of just 1.8 million people.

Citizens of the country, which succeeded from Serbia in 2008, face strict visa regulations and can only travel to Turkey and Albania without travel documents. However, with an unemployment rate of 35 per cent and a poverty rate of just below 30 per cent, according to the UN, many feel that fleeing the country is their best option.

On Friday, Serbian police said they had arrested 290 people, the majority of whom were Kosovo Albanians, in the past two days as they attempted to cross into Hungary illegally. Fifteen of the detainees were suspected of human trafficking.