Following the European Union’s (EU) visa-free regime with Kosovo, hundreds of Kosovars rushed to Pristina airport on Monday, the 1st of January, to travel to EU countries. Kosovo was the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens previously needed visas to travel to the EU, reports Reuters.
“Now that I can travel all over Europe, I feel free as a bird,” said Habib Spahiu, who with his son went on a two-day trip to Vienna.
He was one of 50 people who won a government-funded trip in a national lottery
to celebrate the introduction of visa-free travel.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, welcomed the travellers at the airport, expressing relief that a long-lasting injustice had come to an end.
The strict requirements from EU Member States and internal disputes had prolonged Kosovo’s visa waiver process. Despite the EU confirming already in 2018 that Kosovo had met all requirements, France and the Netherlands delayed the decision due to concerns about possible migration problems.
But in March 2023, the European Council gave the green light for visa-free travel.
Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, still faces obstacles to UN membership due to objections from Serbia, Russia, and China. Although Kosovo is recognised by more than 110 countries, its 1.8 million inhabitants have been able to travel visa-free to less than 20 countries.
Many in Kosovo, one of the poorest countries in Europe, see the visa-free regime as an opportunity to have employment opportunities abroad. However, the government has urged its citizens not to abuse this opportunity, stressing that the visa-free regime allows a 90-day stay in the EU within a 180-day period as a tourist, but not to work, writes Reuters.
Also read: Monastery attack escalates Kosovo-Serbia conflict
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