Skopje, 26 August 2021 (MIA) – The number of Afghan civilians who will be provided shelter in North Macedonia stands at 750. It continues to fluctuate, but it’s always within the limit determined by the government in regard to how many people the country can take in until documents for their final destinations are processed, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said on Thursday. “Initial figures were based on requests sent by international organizations, our partners, for providing temporary shelter for Afghan civilians, women, children, people working for the mission in Afghanistan for the past 20 years. As the number of requests increases, the group set up within the government is assessing logistical, security and health aspects, based on which requests are accepted or denied,” Osmani told a joint press conference with Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski. He stressed that communication was carried out via partners, allies and non-governmental international organizations. North Macedonia, the Minister added, has been logistically prepared to welcome the 750 Afghan nationals since last week, but when they actually arrive depends on the situation, the safety in Afghanistan, and transport options. “The situation changes constantly. Several groups have been set up within the government and relevant ministries, so we’re prepared for this role we have on international level, ready to show solidarity, as well as partnership within the Alliance,” the FM noted. Minister Spasovski underlined during the press conference that the safety and stability of North Macedonia is the Interior Ministry’s top priority, adding that arriving civilians are not radicals or people who will cause any kind of trouble. “The Interior Ministry is obliged to take all measures to ensure the safety of citizens and the country. Over 1.1 million migrants passed through North Macedonia in 2015-2016. We responded in a serious manner, as confirmed not just by the EU, but by all partners, who said that we took every possible measure to ensure safety, but also approach the task humanely. Citizens can rest assured that there are absolutely no indications for security breaches,” Spasovski said. In regard to the status of arrivals, he reiterated that they have been granted 90-day temporary stay, which entails issuing temporary stay permits and security checks performed by the National Security Agency. “Relevant stakeholders are constantly communicating and anyone who is deemed a risk will not be allowed to enter the country. We’re not talking about Macedonian nationals. You know that there was a group of our citizens fighting in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan who returned to North Macedonia. They were deemed security threats and sent to prison, etc. That’s a different issue. There’s greater risk from people who have been radicalized. The country is working on their resocialization, jailing, etc.,” Minister Spasovski stressed.