EU commissioner visits Kosovo to discuss ways to stop illegal migrants flow

A senior European Union official paid a visit to Kosovo on Tuesday to try find ways to stop waves of illegal migrants from Kosovo to European Union (EU) member states to seek a better life.

Dimitris Avramopoulos, European Union Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, held talks with Kosovo leadership on the issue amid reports that the number of migrants crossing illegally the border to Hungary has dramatically declined.

"Let me begin with some good news that detections of irregular border-crossing by Kosovo citizens at the Serbian-Hungarian border dropped over the past month from some 1,400 to only 15 a day. It is really a spectacular outcome," Avramopoulos told journalists in Pristina.

At a press conference after his meeting with Kosovo leadership, Avramopoulos said that they fully agreed that Kosovo must focus on strengthening the rule of law and creating jobs particularly for Kosovo's youth, many of whom have recently tried their luck in Hungary, Austria, Germany and elsewhere.

"Obviously the illegal migration is a challenge that we discussed in details, and we will continue to address it with a same commitment until we completely end it," Besim Collaku, Kosovo's minister of European Integration, said at the press conference.

Avramopoulos commended Kosovo's determination to put the focus on economic development and job-creation at the heart of its socio-economic policies, and pledged that the European Commission supports financially the economic development of Kosovo.

However, he pointed out that a joint effort is needed for restoring hope among Kosovo people.

"Some of your compatriots have lost hope - and it is the hope that we must collectively restore in the coming months. We also need to address why people want to leave in the first place, and why they see no perspectives," said Avramopoulos.

Kosovo is now in a visa liberalisation negotiation process with the EU in order that its people can travel visa-free to Schengen countries.

"I came to Kosovo in order to provide, to offer my help to the government to 'walk the last mile' toward visa-free status", said Avramopoulos.

Avramopoulos added that only with real results in clamp-down on high-profile corruption and organised crime cases and credible measures to prevent a repeat of the current migration crisis ,will he be able to personally throw his weight behind persuading member states that Kosovo citizens should become visa-free. Endit