First 149 Afghan Refugees Arrive In North Macedonia - Foreign Minister

BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st August, 2021) The first group of Afghan refugees of 149 people was brought overnight to Tuesday to North Macedonia by plane through Georgia, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said during a briefing at the airport.

The North Macedonian cabinet announced on August 16 its readiness to receive about 200 Afghan citizens by agreement with the United States and NATO. The next day, the quota was increased to 450 people. However, on August 20, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev named the figure of 650 Afghans and then explained that they would receive visas for three months, before processing documents for sending to the United States.

The government of North Macedonia on August 25 again increased the number of refugees from Afghanistan, whom it is ready to accept on its territory, to 780 people.

"The first group of 149 Afghan citizens whom the state expressed its readiness to provide with temporary asylum arrived today. These are employees of international organizations such as the Open Government Partnership, of which the Republic of North Macedonia is a member, Transparency International, the World Economic Forum, and other partner international organizations, with whom we or our allies have worked for these 20 years in Afghanistan, as well as the wives of employees and children," Osmani said.