Kosovar Refugees and National Security

Abstract

Almost one million people have been forced to leave Kosovo in search of a safe place for settlement. Although it has not been explicitly stated, the main reason that the Balkan states, as well as those of the Western world, are reluctant to receive them as refugees is that they believe that this would jeopardize their security. Some justify this reluctance as another assertion of the "Fortress Europe" ideal. Approaching the subject from a comprehensive security perspective, this article aims to explain how and why the Kosovar refugees may threaten, or may be perceived to threaten, the national security of the receiving states as well as regional and international stability. In so doing, it discusses some methodological problems concerning the definition of security; it relates refugee migration to the various levels of security analysis; and it examines the impact of refugee activities with reference to the various security sectors.