54 that Albanian asylum seekers think the migrant crisis from the Middle East could also favor their chances of getting asylum status<sup>90</sup> . The reality is different. Albania, Kosovo, and Serbia, are considered safe and have very low asylum application approval rate in Germany (ranging from 0.1% to 0.3% in August 2015<sup>91</sup> ) In comparison, around the same time, the approval rate for asylum seekers from Iraq and Syria was around 89%. The low acceptance rate of asylum seekers in Europe has deterred applications in 2016.

The Western Balkan countries have undergone a major economic transformation over the past 15 years (Murgasova el al 2015) but their income levels remain near 1/3 or 1⁄4 of the wealthiest European nations, and is not far from the $9000‐11000 (PPP adjusted) which is often associated with the peak migration tendency (Dadush, Demetris, Wolff, 2017). Facing a weak external environment and structural frailties, in recent years the Western Balkan countries faced major challenges in boosting growth sustainably, reducing poverty, and redressing very large current account deficits, which are financed largely by worker remittances. The unemployment rate in Albania and Serbia hovers around 15%. Though some countries have seen improvement in the business environment and taken measures to improve the working of the labor market, in Albania and Serbia poverty has increased since 2008. In Kosovo, weak governance severely hampers private sector development and job creations. (Murgasova el al 2015). Over 2017 and 2018, GDP Growth in the Western Balkans is expected to accelerate with recovery in Europe, to around 3.5%.

Kosovo was in the civil war in the late 20th century, and the number of refugees and IDPs remains large. The protection of human rights and accountability for war crimes has made slow progress. Roma, Ashkali, and Balkan Egyptians continue to face difficulties acquiring personal documents, accessing health care, obtaining social assistance, and getting an adequate education. Between Jan. and Aug. 31st, 2016, the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs registered 4,534 forced returnees, among these forcibly deported, of whom 1,474 were children. Most minorities were deported from Germany and did not have much assistance after returning to Kosovo.

Human Rights Watch reported that minorities in Serbia face difficult treatment in all aspects of life. Discrimination takes many forms, and some minorities face harassment in housing<sup>92</sup> . Roma people are often mentioned by human rights organization as the targets of persecution in the Balkan states but are not recognized as under threat by authorities in countries like Germany. Policies to grant asylum status have been tightened and deportation and other methods to prevent deportees from re‐entry into Germany are being implemented.

Similarly, ethnic groups in Albania are discriminated against in many aspects of lives. Members of Romani and Balkan Egyptian communities often find themselves rejected or

> 90 BalkanInsight, http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/large‐number‐of‐albanians‐still‐ asking‐for‐asylum‐in‐germany‐10‐19‐2016

> 91 DW, 9‐25‐2015 Tougher laws against migrants from the Balkans <u>http://www.dw.com/en/tougher‐laws‐against‐migrants‐from‐the‐balkans/a‐18748406</u>

> 92 ‐ ‐ <u>https://www.hrw.org/world report/2017/country chapters/serbia/kosovo#40e5f4</u>