North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski has strongly dismissed media reports suggesting that his government agreed to host migrants rejected by the United Kingdom. Speaking on 9 December, he said the idea was never discussed with British officials and insisted that no migrant camp will ever be built in the country under his leadership.
Mickoski stressed that fighting irregular migration is a key part of his party’s political agenda, the VMRO-DPMNE. He added, “There will not be even a tent for illegal migrants in North Macedonia while I am prime minister.”
The opposition, however, believes the situation may be more complicated. Venko Filipče, leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, announced the launch of an online petition and a nationwide mobilisation against the possibility of the country hosting migrants. He claimed his party has been warning for months about possible secret negotiations between Skopje and London.
British media reports had suggested that the UK considered transferring rejected asylum seekers to North Macedonia in exchange for £20,000 per migrant, raising fears about crime and social tension. Filipče said such a plan could lead to increased insecurity, violence, and social disorder.
Local media in North Macedonia also reported that British intelligence services had held discussions with several Balkan countries — including Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina — about setting up deportation hubs. These reports highlighted concerns about Russian influence in the region, which could undermine the security of any such facilities.
According to these media sources, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is allegedly exploring the creation of “repatriation centres” in the Western Balkans despite intelligence warnings. Analysts say the region could be vulnerable to infiltration by actors linked to Russia, potentially putting transferred migrants at risk.
The idea resembles earlier UK proposals similar to the Rwanda deportation plan, which were once considered by the previous Conservative government. At that time, Albania and Moldova were also mentioned as possible destinations, but the project was reportedly halted in 2022 after MI6 raised security concerns.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama has again rejected fresh UK requests, stating that his cooperation on migration is limited to Italy due to their special bilateral relationship.
For now, Mickoski maintains that North Macedonia will host no migrants, calling the rumoured agreement unfounded and politically driven.