THE UK Government is set to ask Kosovo to take migrants as part of its Rwanda-style plan to deport asylum seekers.
Earlier this month, Keir Starmer announced that the Government is beginning talks on a "return hubs" plan to send asylum seekers who have their claims rejected to third countries.
The Prime Minister made the announcement in Albania, which has ruled itself out of any potential deal.
However, The Times reports that Kosovo in the western Balkans, is one of nine countries which has been shortlisted by ministers as potential destinations for return hubs.
Kosovo's president, Vjosa Osmani, has also signalled that her country would be "open" to talks over the deal.
Other nations to have been shortlisted include Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and several countries outside Europe.
If established, the return hubs will target asylum seekers who have exhausted their avenues for appeal, differing slightly from the former Tory government's Rwanda scheme which proposed asylum seekers have their claims processed in Rwanda before a decision is reached.
As well as acting as a deterrent for small boats crossings, the UK Government said it hopes the move will reduce asylum seekers' ability to find other reasons to prevent deportation, such as starting a family.
While no formal talks have begun with any countries, ministers are understood to want to have made progress by the time the UK hosts a meeting of western Balkans leaders in London in the autumn, where illegal immigration is set to be discussed.
Senior government sources told The Times that Kosovo was a "plausible" country for setting up a return hub because it is one of the main routes used by illegal immigrants on their way towards the European Union.
According to the Foreign Office, nearly 22,000 illegal migrants used the western Balkans route to enter the EU last year, The Times reports.
Kosovo, one of the poorest nations in Europe, has a population of about 1.6 million and is bordered by Serbia to the north and east, North Macedonia to the south east, Albania to the southwest and Montenegro to the west.
Last week, the Kosovian president said that her country would be open to taking part in the Rwanda-style plan.
“There’s been no formal talks with the UK on this issue. It hasn’t been raised so far,” Osmani said.
“We would be open to discussing it, however I can’t say more than that because I don’t know the details. I cannot give an answer on a request that hasn’t been made so far.”
Several other European countries are exploring similar schemes, including Italy – whose deal with Albania has been caught up in legal action – Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
