FECL 25 (June 1994):

UNHCR CALLS FOR A STOP ON DEPORTATIONS TO KOSOVO

The situation of Kosovo-Albanians who have been returned to the FRY by various western European countries has drastically deteriorated, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says. The Serb police are harassing returnees simply because they have sought asylum elsewhere. The UNHCR therefore calls on the international community to stop deportations to Kosovo.

Previously, the UNHCR advocated "generosity" in examining asylum applications of KosovoAlbanians but did not principally object to returns on condition that each particular case be carefully examined prior to deportation. At that time, the UNHCR considered that although harassment of Kosovo-Albanians returned to their home country occurred from time to time it was haphazard and did not exceed harassment suffered by the Albanian population in the FRY in general.

At present, however, the UNHCR is revising its policy. "I have changed my assessment because of information I have received about what is happening to asylum seekers who have been returned", Björn Wakman, the UNHCR's observer in Kosovo said to the Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. "Returnees now are reporting that their stay in Sweden constituted a reason for visits and ill-treatment by the Serb police... I don't think they should be sent back and that is what I wrote in my reports".