With illegal immigration a fraught issue in Europe and the United States, Western countries are increasingly kicking the political football over to the Balkans. But questions are building over whether the countries of the region are ready to catch it.
Take Kosovo, for example, which recently agreed to take in up to 50 migrants being deported from the United States and headed for other countries. Separately, Pristina has expressed willingness to take in migrants rejected by the UK.
Meanwhile, Albania has an agreement with Italy to accommodate migrants, and North Macedonia is rumored to have discussed a similar agreement with the UK. Bosnia-Herzegovina cooperates closely with the EU on migration, receiving funding and other support for migrant reception centers.
The flood of commitments has prompted Human Rights Watch (HRW) to issue a warning about the Balkans becoming a "warehouse for migrants."
HRW’s Michael Bochenek told RFE/RL that when compared to some countries slated to house deported migrants, such as Rwanda, South Sudan, and Libya, "Balkan countries don't have a really terrible history of human rights violations.”
But, he added, pressure from the EU on Balkan states is also likely playing a role in taking in migrants.
"For better or worse these [Balkan] governments may have a sense of obligation to the European Union and therefore may be more open to such demands," he says.
Kosovo said that under the terms of its agreement, it take up to 50 individuals deported from the United States -- the candidates will be selected from a list provided by Washington -- "with the aim of facilitating their safe return to their country of origin.”
Those migrants who arrive in Kosovo will stay for a maximum of one year.
No date has been set for the first migrants to arrive under the program, but on June 23, the US Supreme Court put a hold on the lower court ruling that made it more difficult for the US government to deport migrants to third countries.
The Supreme Court offered no explanation for its decision, but the impact was clear: deportations will resume, and soon.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “can now execute its lawful authority and remove illegal aliens to a country willing to accept them,” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Fire up the deportation planes.”
Anu Prattipati, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in Pristina, thanked Kosovo for becoming “the first country in Europe to announce acceptance of third country nationals removed from the United States.”
But many in the Balkans are asking what's in it for them?
The government in Pristina did not respond directly to a question about what Kosovo would receive in return for taking in the migrants.
A recent New York Times report suggests the Balkan state has asked for Washington's help to push other countries to recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state. Kosovo is currently recognized by 108 out of 193 UN member countries.
Kosovo previously made a deal with Denmark to house foreign-born prisoners due to be deported from Denmark after serving time. In 2022, Pristina reached an agreement with Copenhagen to lease 300 cells at the Gjilan Correctional Facility to house the prisoners.
In return Kosovo will receive over $230 million to be invested in the country’s prison service and renewable energy projects.
The first prisoners from Denmark are expected to be transferred to Kosovo in early 2027.
Previously, Kosovo housed around 1,900 Afghan citizens who were evacuated from Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Donika Emini of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group told RFE/RL that the Balkans are being used by Western states to deal with problems “without real and long-term benefits.”
Emini says the recent agreement with Washington is not a “transformative moment in Kosovo’s international positioning.”
"This strengthens Kosovo's image as a reliable partner, but does not fundamentally change the dynamics of the relationship, especially when key political issues, such as the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, continue to be a source of tension," Emini said.
Along with questions over the diplomatic benefits for Balkan states, agreements to deal with the migrant issue also raise concerns regarding the rights of migrants themselves.
HRW's Bochenek said such agreements are "political and an attempt to circumvent human rights obligations." He adds that such deals often create legal uncertainty for migrants, especially those who have no ties to the host country.
"People don't know where they are, they don't understand why they were sent there, they feel lost and isolated," he says.
The agreement between Italy and Albania on the transfer of migrants has encountered legal difficulties since its implementation in February 2024.
More than 70 people initially sent to Albania have been returned to Italy following court decisions or due to medical needs.
"If these agreements are not carefully examined, if their downsides are not highlighted, if public opinion is not taken into account, and if the true costs they entail are not understood, then the risk is great," Bochenek says.
The human rights expert adds that, in other cases of such arrangements around the world, including Costa Rica, Panama, and South Sudan, "these agreements have proven to be much more problematic for the host countries than originally expected."
