Political analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu said that, after the entry into force of visa liberalization, about half a million inhabitants of Kosovo will go to the countries of Western Europe this year.
Spahiu told the Beta agency that the majority of Kosovo residents will try to find work in the West, but also that many will leave due to fear of war.
“Almost every family from Kosovo has at least one member who lives and works in the West. In Kosovo, wages are very low and unemployment is high, so many young people see their future in the developed countries of Western Europe. I expect that this year alone, around half a million of Kosovo residents to go to the West,” Spahiu said.
He also said that visa liberalization will cause an earthquake in Kosovo.
The departure of a large number of young people will affect Kosovo society in many areas. It is expected that a significant number of retirees will leave Kosovo and go to live with their children in the West, the analyst points out.
In addition to social and economic reasons, Spahiu believes, many will leave Kosovo because of the fear of war.
“The fear of war will exist until the Franco-German plan is fully implemented. Because of the fear of war, significantly fewer people came to Kosovo from the West for the New Year holidays than in previous years,” he said.
Spahiu says that this year will see the formation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities and the mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo, which, according to him, could affect the reduction of the number of people planning to leave Kosovo.
“I expect that on the same day the Association of Serbian Municipalities will be formed and that the flag of Kosovo will fly in Belgrade on the building of the diplomatic mission. Many do not believe that Belgrade will recognize the independence of Kosovo, but when Belgrade recognized the independence of Croatia in the early nineties, what they did not expect at the time neither Serbs nor Croats, surely Aleksandar Vučić will now both de facto and de jure recognize Kosovo’s independence,” Spahiu stressed.
From January 1, 2024, citizens of Kosovo can travel without visas to 29 countries of the Schengen area.
