Kosovo has agreed to temporarily accommodate up to 50 migrants for a year, according to reports released Wednesday.
This decision follows increasing pressure from the U.S. on other countries to accept deportees, aligning with President Trump’s commitment to mass deportations.
In a statement released Wednesday, the Kosovo government stated its willingness to participate, selecting individuals from a proposed group based on adherence to the rule of law and public order, as reported by Reuters.
Reports last week indicated that the U.S. was urging Balkan countries like Serbia to accept migrants. It remains unclear if these deportees would include migrants from countries like Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, and Nicaragua, especially after the Supreme Court removed Temporary Protected Status.
Kosovo, one of Europe’s poorest nations, only ahead of Ukraine and Georgia, has reportedly considered similar programs as a potential source of revenue.
Digital was unable to promptly reach the White House or the Department of Homeland Security for clarification on whether the U.S. will compensate third-party nations for hosting U.S. deportees.
A State Department spokesperson told Digital that it appreciates “partner Kosovo for receiving third country nationals removed from the United States and facilitating those aliens’ safe return to their home countries.”
The spokesman added that they “welcome cooperation on this key Trump Administration priority,” but did not address questions about compensating Kosovo for the arrangement.
Hosting deportees has been a contentious issue in Kosovo for some time, even before the U.S. began pushing the nation to accept them.
Last month, the UK expressed interest in establishing “return hubs” in Kosovo, along with eight other Balkan nations.
This initiative is part of a larger effort to curb illegal immigration to Britain.
A separate agreement from 2022 between Denmark and Kosovo involved transferring 300 foreign prisoners to Kosovo’s Correctional Institution in Gjilan; these prisoners are expected to be deported after serving their sentences.
The agreement is set to .
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