Pristina officially announced that it has accepted a request from the United States to host migrants deported by American authorities, the Kosovo government said in a statement to the "Reuters" agency on Wednesday. According to the initial plan, the country will accept 50 people per year, News.bg reports.
"The government expressed its readiness to participate in the initiative with the possibility of selecting individuals from a proposed list, provided that they meet certain criteria related to the rule of law and public order," the position says.
The decision comes amid increased efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to fulfill its promise to deport a record number of illegal immigrants from the United States. Washington is actively seeking partner countries to accept migrants from third countries.
Kosovo, with a population of about 1.6 million, already has a similar agreement with Denmark, under which it will accept 300 prisoners from the Danish prison sector, with compensation amounting to 210 million euros over the next ten years. In addition, Pristina has expressed interest in accepting deportees from the United Kingdom.
The Kosovo government emphasizes that relations with the United States are extremely close, especially given the decisive American role in the process of recognizing Kosovo's independence from Serbia in 2008.
"We highly appreciate the support of the United States," the official statement said.