The international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized plans by the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) to use Balkan countries as transit points for the return of migrants.
According to HRW, the British government has considered countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Albania for the establishment of return centers, where asylum seekers from third countries whose applications have been rejected will be sent before repatriation.
This plan, according to the organization, brings to mind the case of the Gjadri camp in Albania, which was initially intended as a shelter for illegal immigrants stopped in the Mediterranean, but then was transformed at the center for the repatriation of undocumented deportees.
“Instead of treating the Balkans as a warehouse for migrants, the EU and the UK can play an important role in supporting the development of functional asylum systems and better frameworks for protecting migrants’ rights,” HRW said in a statement on Monday.
Although Albania has been mentioned as "Possible candidate for British bid"On May 15, at a conference with British counterpart Keir Starmer in Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama ruled out this possibility, emphasizing:
"The agreement with Italy is unique, built on a specific geographical reality and cannot serve as a model for others."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Kosovo could be an option being considered by the UK. The President, Vjosa Osmani, has expressed openness to talks. Recall that in 2021, Kosovo signed an agreement with Denmark to accept 300 foreign prisoners, but it has not yet been implemented.
HRW warns that prolonged detention of migrants without adequate protection exposes them to human rights violations.
“This is a major risk to immigrant rights,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at HRW.
The European Commission has also proposed setting up return centres in countries outside the EU, which would accept migrants who have been refused residence, sending them to "safe" places for their asylum claims to be examined.
In April 2025, HRW representatives spent two weeks in Bosnia examining conditions in reception centers. While local authorities stated that conditions were good, the legal aid organization Vaša Prava reported complaints of severe restrictions on activities and time outside.
Human rights violations in Balkan camps are a recurring problem. Amnesty International has often reacted against the violations in the Gjadri camp in Albania, calling it a "cruel experiment" and "a stain on the Italian government".
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
