REPATRIATION OR DEPORTATION ?!

After several months of negotiations between the German and Yugoslav administrations concerning the return of about 120 thousand asylum-seekers, among which the Kosovo Albanians are number the most (it is estimated at as much as 90 thousand), the actual implementation of the agreement has been announced for early October this year. That is the date for which organized or, according to some circles, experimental return of the first group of 2,000 Albanians, who were refused residence permits in the Federal Republic of Germany, is planned. However, the formal signing of the Agreement between the two countries still remains to be executed since it had been already postponed once on account of illness of Vukasin Jokanovic, Yugoslav Minister of the Interior, while those well-versed claim that that will happen very soon.

350 thousand Albanians have emigrated from Kosovo to west European countries during the last six years. It seems that their "golden age" is drawing to its close, a period when they could easily get shelter and reception in other countries, especially in Germany, a traditional "country of work" for the local population. "The pressure of German public, as well as the deteriorated social and economic situation caused by heavy investments realized on the territory of former East Germany, have forced Germany to initiate measures for the return of some eight million foreign nationals located there," explains Skender Kastrati

• person in charge of the emigration sector in the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo (DSK) - the insistence of the German government on the most urgent possible return of refugees.

He points out that during the discussions held in Belgrade with diplomatic representatives, the Albanians side presented its views on the problem of the return of the Kosovo Albanians. "We asked the German side for their return to be organized, safe and dignified and under constant supervision of the German side or some international humanitarian organization which would be in charge of monitoring the process. Next, we asked for their return to be organized only via Pristina Airport, according to a list of returnees to be submitted in advance to the Kosovo Government and the international humanitarian organization appointed for an observer. It was also insisted that account should be also taken of the Kosovo Government, as a party protecting the interests of the Albanian emigrants.

It was also demanded that their return should be organized as a gradual and selective process as the established conditions and favourable economic and political circumstances in Kosovo permit. It was particularly pointed out that unless the problem of Kosovo is resolved there will remain the causes that have initiated emigration of the Albanians from Kosovo in the first place", says Kastrati.

On the other hand, Wilfried Gruber, the newly appointed German Ambassador to Belgrade stated that "the federal German government considers the results of German-Yugoslav negotiations on the return of persons who are under the obligation to leave the territory of a foreign country and the signing of the Agreement a significant step forward in the development of bilateral relations. Being interested in the resolution of this bilateral problem as well as the establishment of stability in the region the Federal Republic of Germany is also interested in the progress regarding the Kosovo issue. In this context, it is of central interest to secure a high degree of autonomy for Kosovo within the FRY. In this connection the German government welcomes the concluded agreement on schools. It encourages both sides to continue the initiated dialogue, using the good offices of a third party..." says Gruber.

All in all, the return of such number of asylum-seekers doesn't rule out possible economic and social consequences in the first place, as well as those political. "It is with the arrival of asylum-seekers that numerous problems will crop up here", confirms Rifat Blaku, president of the (parallel) Parliamentary Commission for Emigration and Refugees. Skender Kastrati claims that an automatic return of a large number of refugees from Germany would result in the deterioration of the social, as well as the political situation in Kosovo. "Therefore, adds Kastrati, the German side was asked to give its contribution in financial and humanitarian assistance so as to preclude the deterioration of the living conditions of asylum-seekers, and the social situation in Kosovo in general".

That the return of Albanian asylum-seekers will have social repercussions is also confirmed by Schell Andersen, head of the delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Pristina who thinks that "a massive return of people from Germany to Kosovo under such conditions with high unemployment rate, undeveloped infrastructure and non-operating industry is not a human way of treating people". In that context, the Albanian sources warn that there are about 540 thousand people and over 120 thousand families which receive social aid of the humanitarian organizations.

It seems that a large-scale return of the Albanian asylum-seekers can also have political consequences. Thus the leader of Kosovo Albanians, Dr.Ibrahim Rugova, expressed his fears that this "could cause inter-ethnic conflicts", not explaining how and in which way that might happen. There are also different opinions in regard to the political consequences. Thus. Mr.Blaku reminds that "by the most recent acts (such as the Agreement on Education and Agreement on the Return of Asylum-Seekers) the political problem of the Albanians have gracefully calmed down and faded, as it turns out that in thereby conditions have actually been created in Kosovo for their gradual return according to the criteria, norms and selective measures of Belgrade".

"The abandoning of Kosovo by the Albanians is a result of tense political situation which has prevailed all these years, and is still unchanged", stressed Afrim Morina, president of UNIKOMB, a radically oriented party. "Therefore, all consequences that will result from the return of asylum-seekers from Germany will be of an exclusively political nature. First: the fact that Belgrade is negotiating with Bonn means that the German government recognizes the legitimacy of the Serbian rule over Kosovo thus besmirching the Albanian resistance over the past years which, if initiated, could shake the very foundations of the entire Balkans. Second: the return of the Albanian asylum-seekers to Kosovo economically devastated by the plunder of its resources by Belgrade, will cause tensions of overwhelming proportions as the returnees will not have a chance to find themselves and consequently their dissatisfaction will be a bomb with a burning fuse. Third: the Albanian policy, praised and well known in the world, will experience a fiasco of sorts and on account of such a defeat other political forces will surface, openly opposing passive policy and advocating an active one; in time these shocks will bring many problems".

The announcement that boys, who have emigrated so as to avoid the draft, will also be returned caused the greatest concern of the Kosovo Albanians. The anxiety is even greater because of the fact that, as Dr.Bujar Bukosi, President of the Kosovo Government in exile, has put it, no guarantees were issued in respect of the return of this category of refugees. Rifat Blaku is also concerned: "We know from the practice as well as our experience with Milosevic's regime that no matter how cooperative the promises on their civilized and human treatment are, there still remains a fact that one category of asylum-seekers, particularly the conscripts, although maybe able to evade criminal charges, will be obliged to serve their military duty according to the Yugoslav law on army service by the time they turn 37".

However, Germany bases its decision on the return on draft evaders on the Law on Amnesty adopted by the Federal Parliament. Notwithstanding this argument, circumstances have not changed for these young men since the Law on Amnesty does not give any security. Recent statement of Sonja Biserko, President of the Serbian Helsinki Committee, also confirms this. "The Amnesty Law covers one particular category of the population, and not all, as it doesn't state the position regarding the Albanian side". Therefore, points out Skender Kastrati, "Germany has been asked to exert pressure on Belgrade Government to accept a moratorium on the military service in the Army of Serbia and Montenegro for the Albanian population until the resolution of the political status of Kosovo..."

Besim Abazi AIM Pristina