Kosovo

As of early December 2025, the United States has not yet forcibly transferred people to Kosovo pursuant to a June 11, 2025 U.S.-Kosovo agreement. The government of Kosovo stated that it had agreed to receive 50 deported individuals from the United States who would be “temporarily relocated” to Kosovo while officials worked to facilitate “their safe return to their home country.” Under the terms of the agreement, Kosovo has committed to holding the individuals for up to one year. Kosovan officials have signaled that they will seek the opportunity to select individuals from a proposed group that the United States intends to transfer to ensure they meet criteria related to “rule of law and public order.” Kosovo’s president framed the deal as a “third country national agreement…to support President Trump’s agenda in fighting illegal migration” and reform of the refugee protection system globally.  

Kosovo’s detention record raises serious concerns about potential risks to people forcibly transferred to Kosovo by the United States. In 2021, Kosovo struck a deal with Denmark to incarcerate 300 Danish prisoners in exchange for 200 million euros. Human rights groups monitoring that arrangement reported credible accounts of physical abuse in Kosovar prisons, including instances of detained people being punched and kicked while handcuffed. Rights advocates characterized such abuse as endemic, describing it as “part of the prison culture in Kosovo.” 

Prior to entering into this agreement, Kosovo has sought the Trump administration’s support in securing international recognition of its sovereignty—currently acknowledged by only 108 of 193 UN member states—and in advancing its application to join the European Union. In August 2025, Kosovo issued a decree that adopted the United States’ terrorist organization list in line with President Trump’s Executive Orders, with the President of Kosovo posting on X: “The Republic of Kosovo stands alongside the United States of America.”