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"I paid 300 euros to cross from Greece to Albania"/ From Gaza to Kosovo, through smuggling and hope! 27-year-old Palestinian: I even walked on water
2025-06-20 08:52:39 / KOSOVA
A 27-year-old Palestinian migrant has arrived illegally in Kosovo, facing dangerous routes and high costs. Kosovo police say they are strengthening border controls with drones and joint operations with neighboring countries to stop migrant smuggling. But how effective are these measures?
When war and poverty force people to leave their homes behind, the journey to a better life becomes an uncertain and dangerous adventure.
Husam Nmvawi, from the Gaza Strip, after long walks through the mountains and payments of hundreds of euros, ended up in Kosovo last month.
As he lies half-reclined in his bed at the Magura Asylum Center in Lipjan, he seems to have no clear plan for the future.
"I was initially in Turkey. From there I paid 800 euros to go to Greece. From Greece, to cross into Albania, I paid 300 euros," says the 27-year-old.
His journey did not end there. He would find a way to enter Kosovo – without documents and without security – where he has already applied for asylum status.
"I paid a person 100 euros and he showed me the way. I also used his phone," Husami told Radio Free Europe.
He doesn't want to reveal much about his journey, the groups that may have helped him, or the dangers he encountered along the way.
"I walked a lot, even through water, to cross borders," he says with a frown.
His voice gets even louder when he mentions Gaza – where he says there is no life left and that fleeing was the only solution.
Stories like this take on even more weight today, June 20, on World Refugee Day, when the world pauses to reflect on the pain and resilience of millions of displaced people.
But Husami does not clearly explain why he is in Kosovo.
"I'm staying here for the moment," he says, and does not say whether Kosovo is his final destination or just a stopover on his way to another country.
He briefly mentions that some of his relatives are scattered in various European countries, but does not say whether he has attempted to join them.
Similarly, Kosovo authorities do not have clear information about the long-term intentions of migrants like Husami, as they try to strengthen border control – with the use of drones and joint operations with neighboring states – to stop smuggling and illegal crossings.
With drones patrolling day and night, Kosovo Police says it is carefully monitoring the border strip with Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia.
This year alone, it has detained 15 people suspected of migrant smuggling and 13 victims – whose cases have been pursued through the courts – while, last year, it says it handled the cases of 1,025 migrants.
"We have captured such groups through night drones, when we have conducted operations," Nexhmi Krasniqi, director of the Border Department in northwest Gjakova, tells Radio Free Europe.
He emphasizes that the most critical point in this regard is the Vërmica area, near Prizren, but adds that, in recent months, migrant movements have been significantly reduced, thanks to close cooperation with the Albanian Police.
"In addition to the monthly joint patrols we have, we also carry out operations together, when we have such cases," says Krasniqi.
According to him, these smuggling networks are mixed and led mainly by Moroccans and Syrians, with the participation of Afghans.
He says they use modern technology, such as the internet and mobile phones, to communicate and coordinate movements, bringing migrants from Greece, through Albania, to Kosovo, and then to Serbia and further into Europe.
Some of these individuals may also have connections to people from Kosovo, says Krasniqi, although their number is not large.
"The people who helped them were a few from Prizren, from Gjilan, Mitrovica... These are connected to those who have their own taxi companies and to people who also have vans and do their own transportation," explains Krasniqi.
According to data provided to Radio Free Europe by the Kosovo Police, migrants detained in Kosovo are mainly from Morocco, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Egypt and other countries./ REL
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