Authorities in Pristina are talking with partners to see what are the best alternatives for housing Afghan nationals who are at risk from the Taliban. This is what the Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, declared on Wednesday, who said that Kosovo has "extremely small" capacities to deal with such extraordinary situations. However, Sveçla did not provide details on how many Afghans will come to Kosovo and when their arrival is expected.
"We are in constant coordination with the United States of America, namely with the US Department of State and the US Embassy here and with NATO representatives, so that what we have continuously declared as our allies and strategic partners The United States of America and NATO, to be part of the relief of this extremely difficult situation for Afghan citizens, especially for a group known as a vulnerable group", said Sveçla during a press conference.
US forces maintain; perimeter at Kabul airport as thousands of Afghans try to leave the country. Kabul, August 16, 2021. He said that it is unlikely that the Afghans, who are expected to come to Kosovo, will be temporarily housed in the Student Center in Pristina, as some local media had reported.
"We have made operational plans, so that this whole process is organized in the best possible way. There are several different alternatives, either for housing or for the way of receiving and transporting them to the places where they will be accommodated", said Sveçla. Minister Sveçla said that the Government of Kosovo has taken the appropriate decisions to provide temporary residence to Afghan citizens who have cooperated with the US and NATO. The Afghans, Sveçla said, will stay temporarily in Kosovo, until the procedures for long-term residence in the USA or in third countries are completed.
A member of the Canadian forces walks through an evacuation checkpoint during evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, August 24, 2021. Last week, the Government of Kosovo said the United States will cover all costs for housing Afghan nationals who have cooperated with the Americans. In addition to Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia have also expressed their willingness to host Afghans. Thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals are being evacuated from Afghanistan after Taliban militants took control of Kabul on August 15. US troops, who along with other allies are helping to evacuate Kabul airport, are expected to withdraw from Afghanistan by August 31.
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