EU to tackle migration by introducing visa requirements
The EU could end free travel for candidate countries that have not aligned their visa policies with the bloc, Croatia's interior minister has said, adding that if Serbia harmonised its entry rules with those of the EU, fewer migrants would be trying to cross the bloc's external borders unlawfully.
Croatia’s interior minister believes that the solution to migration lies in reforming the visa policies of the Western Balkan region’s candidate countries. Davor Bozinovic said that most illegal immigrants to Bosnia-Herzegovina come from Serbia.
Some of these people enter Serbia without a visa. They are „so-called tourists, who become illegal migrants by the time they reach the Croatian border and then try to enter the EU.”
the minister said.
Serbia has already taken the first steps
The threat of scrapping visa-free entry primarily applies to Serbia. Travellers entering Serbia without a visa can come from countries whose citizens are not eligible for visa free entry into the EU or the Schengen area. The list of countries was reduced last year under EU pressure, and visa requirements were introduced for citizens coming from Burundi, Tunisia, India and Guinea-Bissau, as a significant number of migrants from these countries tried to cross into EU territory via Serbia. However, this was an ad hoc move and insufficient, therefore visa requirements should be introduced for further countries, according to Davor Bozinovic.
It should be noted that a significant number of migrants arriving via the Western Balkan route set out from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and entering Serbia is not visa-free from these three countries.
EU to revoke Serbia’s visa-free status
The European Union expects full coordination of visa policy from candidate countries. Croatia’s interior minister recalled that the EU closely monitors the efforts of acceding countries in this area.
„There was a broad consensus at the meeting of EU ministers that those who fail to cooperate on the issue cannot draw on the benefits that come with visa-free entry into EU territory,”
Davor Bozinovic said.
Serbia committed no mistakes or violations that would jeopardise visa exemption, the Serbia’s minister in charge of European integration said in response to the possibility of withdrawing visa-free entry. She noted, however, that the pressure of illegal migration is a huge problem and may have given ground for the news of bringing back visa requirements.
Vucic: Southern border must be protected
Finding a solution to the migration situation is in Serbia’s interest, because illegal migration takes up significant law enforcement capacities and incurs costs for the country. Local residents also suffer because of the migrants. V4NA has also reported multiple times on the daily annoyances and fears experienced by the population, as well as on conflicts escalating into armed clashes. Thanks to increased efforts by police, the situation has somewhat normalised. Migrants are regularly picked up from the streets and taken to reception centres, but people’s concerns have not vanished.
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Serbia has recently taken a number of measures to curb illegal migration, Serb President Aleksandar Vucic said last December at the border fence along the Serbia-Hungary border section, where he discussed the issue with Hungarian President Katalin Novak and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Mr Vucic said that one of these measures was the abolition of visa-free entry for citizens of countries where most illegal migrants come from. At the same time, he described the protection of the southern border and stepping up efficient action against human smugglers and other criminal groups as equally important.