The cooperation of the authorities of the Western Balkan countries with the European Union in the fight against illegal immigration is one of the biggest priorities of the bloc. This is constantly repeated in the bilateral meetings that EU officials hold with partners from the region. This call is also included in the reports, conclusions, declarations or other documents that the EU approves regarding the region.
Consequently, even in the last enlargement package, as well as in the individual progress reports, special attention is paid precisely to the obligations that these countries have towards the EU for the management of illegal immigration.
The EU, according to officials interviewed by Radio Free Europe, is relatively satisfied with the fact that the number of immigrants entering the EU through the Western Balkans is decreasing, compared to previous years. In the EU, they are also satisfied with the readiness of the authorities of the countries of the region to act together with the agencies and authorities of the EU. Most of the countries in the region already have cooperation agreements with Frontex – the EU agency for border protection.
Even the number of asylum seekers from Western Balkan countries in the EU, who do not have a basis for obtaining asylum, is generally decreasing, although it still exists as a concern.
The area where the EU, especially its member countries bordering the countries of the Western Balkan region, would like more progress, is the adaptation of the visa regime of these countries for citizens of third countries, with the EU visa regime -‘s.
This means that the countries of the region, whose citizens do not need visas to travel to the EU, establish visas for entering their territory for those foreign citizens for whom the EU requires visas, and especially for the citizens of those countries that pose a potential risk for the increase in the number of illegal immigrants. Until recently, Serbia was a serious problem, because for citizens from a number of countries from Africa and Asia, it removed visas for visits.
Serbia did this mainly for political purposes. And, only after the remarks from the EU that this will jeopardize the liberalization of visas from the bloc for the citizens of Serbia, Belgrade started to adapt the visa regime to that of the EU. He reinstated visas for some countries, but not all.
Even Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina have visa liberalization for a number of countries for which the EU requires visas. Both of these countries were also invited to adapt their visa regime to that of the EU as soon as possible. Montenegro is already in the process of issuing visas for citizens of Russia and Belarus. The European Union welcomed this initiative, recalling that in the process of membership of Montenegro in the EU, this country is expected to adapt its visa policy to that of the EU, in order to contribute to the prevention of illegal immigration.
Adaptation of the visa regime is required especially for those countries that present a risk of illegal immigration to the EU. This category includes Russia and Belarus.
Albania also has some visa exemptions – sometimes only seasonal – for some countries.
However, such an opportunity to waive visas during the summer season, from any country in the region, is not in accordance with EU legislation, according to the European Commission.
Adapting to the EU visa regime, the countries of the Western Balkans have an obligation and a condition for the financial benefits from the Growth Package for the Western Balkans. In addition, these countries should establish stricter controls for issuing visas, collecting biometric data of those who enter their territory and exchange such data with the European Union. The EU, according to some internal reports, has identified that there are many cases of illegal immigrants arriving in the EU through the countries of the Western Balkan region, in which they entered as tourists without visas.
The Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Pllenkovic, has said several times during the European Council meetings in Brussels that about 40 percent of the immigrants, who enter illegally from neighboring countries into the territory of Croatia, have arrived without visas in those countries – most of them in Serbia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Croatia has the EU’s longest external land border of all the bloc’s member states. Precisely because of the large number of illegal immigrants entering Croatia from the neighboring countries of the Western Balkans, Slovenia has suspended the Schengen regime and returned controls at the border points with Croatia.
Italy and Austria have also returned controls at the borders with Slovenia. This, according to EU sources, proves how important the problem of illegal immigration is considered among the bloc’s member countries. EU sources also say that there is a significant number of Russian citizens who arrive in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina without visas, and then cross into EU territory. A high number is especially from regions such as Chechnya and Dagestan, which are part of the Russian Federation and whose citizens have Russian passports.
The European Union admits that there is progress towards adapting the countries of the region to the EU visa regime, but wants this to be done at a faster pace.
