Pristina – ESI at roundtable on the visa liberalisation process in Kosovo: Where are we now?

18 May 2015
Photo: Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS)
Photo: Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS)

ESI Senior Analyst, Besa Shahini, attended an event by Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS) on visa liberalization in Prishtina. She spoke about the importance of a 'strict and fair' process for Kosovo and addressed the issues of illegal migration and asylum seekers from Kosovo to the Schengen area. "These issues cannot be addressed with a visa regime: Kosovars will migrate, with or without visas, as long as they cannot find jobs in Kosovo." Only 30 percent of working age population in Kosovo has a job and judging from the low industrial and export base, this will remain so in the years to come.

Participants :

  • Mr. Ramadan Ilazi – Deputy Minister, Ministry of European Integration
  • Mr. Thomas Gnocchi – Head of Political, Economic and European Integration Section, European Union Office in Kosovo
  • Ms. Besa Shahini – Senior Analyst, European Initiative for Stability
  • Ms. Albana Merja – Research Fellow, Group for Legal and Political Studies
  • Ms. Ebba Lekvall – Author of the Analysis, Group for Legal and Political Studies