
Kosovo agrees to accept US deportations of migrants from other countries
Kosovo has agreed to a request from the Trump administration to allow the U.S. to deport a small group of migrants, U.S. and Kosovar officials told CBS News.
Officials in Kosovo agreed to host 50 deportees from other countries, the latest deal in a broader and aggressive effort by the Trump administration to persuade countries around the world to accept migrants who are not their citizens.
In a statement to CBS News, the Kosovo embassy in the US confirmed the deportation agreement.
"In response to the request from the United States regarding the reception and resettlement of third-country nationals, we have expressed our readiness to cooperate with the United States in addressing this issue under the specified conditions," the embassy said.
The Kosovo embassy said the agreement would allow 50 deportees from other countries to be "temporarily relocated" to Kosovo while officials there work to facilitate "their safe return to their country of origin."
It is not clear who exactly the US might send to Kosovo or which countries they would be from. Typically, the US uses third-country deportation agreements to deport migrants whose countries it will not take back, in some cases because of strained diplomatic relations.
The Kosovo Embassy said the government in Pristina would seek "the opportunity to select individuals from a proposed group, provided they meet specific criteria related to the rule of law and public order."
In a statement to CBS News, the US State Department said: "We welcome cooperation on this key priority of the Trump Administration."
"We are grateful to our partner, Kosovo, for accepting third-country nationals removed from the United States and for facilitating the safe return of these foreigners to their countries of origin," the State Department added.