Are they aware that Macedonia could go-up in flames? And what are they doing-next to nothing Israel took more than "mouse that roared" Blair
UN to begin transferring
more refugees to Albania
07:31 a.m. May 04, 1999 Eastern
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA, May 4 (Reuters) - The
U.N. refugee agency said on
Tuesday it would begin transferring
some Kosovo refugees from
Macedonia to Albania in the next
days as a ''last resort'' to ease
overcrowded camps in Macedonia.
But Kris Janowski, spokesman for
the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), said it would
only move refugees who
volunteered after Macedonia's
government guaranteed that they
would still be eligible for evacuation
to a third country.
The Geneva-based agency said
11,600 Kosovo Albanians had
arrived on Monday by train and bus
in Macedonia -- one of the large
single-day influxes. A ''mere 700''
had arrived in Albania amid reports
of continuing atrocities in Djakovica
and Prizren.
The latest figures in the exodus
were ''an indication that the main
thrust of the Serbian cleansing effort
is directed toward Macedonia,''
Janowski told a news briefing in
Geneva.
''The situation in Macedonia is
critical. Over the next few days,
refugees will have to be transferred
by buses to Albania where NATO
is helping with the construction of
new tented camps in Korca in the
vicinity of Lake Ochrid,'' he said.
''They may move as early as
tomorrow (Wednesday).''
Space for 6,000 refugees in
Albania has been identified until
facilities can be expanded,
according to the spokesman.
NATO said on Monday it planned
to build camps in Albania for
160,000 refugees, including up to
60,000 from Macedonia, but it was
not clear when they would be
ready.
''We are still insisting that departure
to be voluntary and also insist, and
the Macedonian government
agrees, that people going to Albania
still be eligible for humanitarian
evacuation,'' Janowski said.
''The idea of sending people to
Albania, where infrastructure is
worse than in Macedonia, was
always questionable. Now it seems
to be the last resort.''
Janowski added: ''Taking people
out of Macedonia...is designed to
allay fears of the Macedonian
government and keep them on
board.''
''The problem is that a political
decision of the government to
expand and build new camps is not
there. The government is saying
'We have taken as many as we can
take and we would like you to look
after them and take them out of the
country'.''
''They have a very good point. It is
a small country and it is
destabilising,'' the spokesman
added.
Macedonia has taken in 204,070
Kosovo refugees, while Albania is
''swamped'' with nearly 400,000,
according to UNHCR.
In all, the U.N. agency estimates
that more than 800,000 Kosovo
Albanians and Serbs have fled the
conflict over the past year. They
include 100,000 asylum-seekers in
Europe and 27,524 flown out from
Macedonia in an evacuation begun
a month ago.
Germany (9,974), Turkey (5,827)
and France (2,354) have taken the
bulk of Kosovo evacuees,
according to UNHCR.
The International Organisation for
Migration (IOM) said evacuations
outside of Europe would begin this
week to three countries --
Australia, Canada and the United
States.
The first flight will be on Tuesday
from Skopje to Ontario, Canada,
an IOM spokesman told the news
briefing. Canada has said it will take
in 5,000 Kosovo refugees.
A first flight to the United States is
to depart from Skopje on
Wednesday and bring up to 470
refugees to New Jersey, he added.
The United States has agreed to
take in 20,000 Kosovars.
The first flight to Australia, via
Rome, is on Thursday. The
government has said it will take up
to 4,000 refugees.
Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.
All rights reserved.
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