Thousands of people from western Macedonia, after the lifting of the visa regime, left for the countries of Western Europe to visit relatives working there and a considerable number of them sought political asylum in Belgium, a number of media report. Some speculate that this is the reason why Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme and the Secretary of State for Asylum and Immigration Melchior Wathelet are coming to Skopje on 8 March.

According to unconfirmed information of Utrinski vesnik, as many as 5,000 citizens from Kumanovo, Lipkovo and Gostivar left for Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany and the Scandinavian countries.

BDI leader Ali Ameti warned the citizens over the weekend not to let be deceived by fake promises of travel agencies offering jobs. He explained that in these countries there are no jobs and people would be put in camps and deported back. Prime Minister Gruevski and Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska made similar statements over the weekend.