Kosovo's governing coalition may not survive exodus

Subject

The mass exodus from Kosovo to the EU.

Significance

People started leaving in September last year and numbers have steadily mounted: 23,000 were recorded in the first six weeks of 2015, but the total may be as high as 100,000, from a country of 2 million. Most Kosovars cannot get visas to the EU, so instead enter illegally through a weak point in the Serbian/Hungarian border, before claiming asylum. Their arrival in thousands has provoked a popular backlash in Hungary and a harsh reaction from the governments in Germany and Austria, which are the ultimate destinations for most of the migrants.

Impacts

• Inflows of illegal migrants from Kosovo will fuel anti-immigrant sentiment in Germany, Austria and Hungary.
• Pristina will come under political pressure to control its borders and ameliorate conditions of life for ordinary people.
• The EU will be forced to rethink its strategy towards Kosovo.