Europe wants visa restrictions for Balkan Countries

The asylum requests from people coming from the Western Balkans are soaring. Germany and five other countries, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Sweden asked the Commission to allow the reintroduction of visa-system traveling status for people coming from the Balkans. The asylum system has been constantly abused. The situation is very worrying.
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia from December 2009 have the right to travel free to the Schengen area. Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina were given visa free status one year later, in December 2010. EU commissioner for home affairs Michele Cercone told that the majority of the people asking for asylum are economic migrants. According to his sayings Serbia and FYROM both share the liability of the growing problem. Serbian government reacted to these claims, with the Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stressing that an adjustment to visa arrangements will condemn the honest claimants.
In the contrary, Hannes Swoboda, President of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, is against the reintroduction of visa requirements. A decision like this will undermine EU’s fundamental achievement for integration."Instead of moving backwards, there must be serious talks with all the countries concerned and joint action packages to prevent abuse of the visa-free travel and asylum system.We must fight against all organisations in the Western Balkans that abuse the asylum system" stated Mr. Swoboda. NEW EUROPE.ON LINE
Tanja Fajon, a Slovenian centre-left deputy, rapporteur on visa liberalization in European Parliament said that, on 25 October, in the meeting of the EU interior ministers will be officially discussed the subject of the free visas.
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