From January to September of this year, there were 3905 requests for asylum in EU countries from citizens of Kosovo, according to the European Commission’s report on the mechanisms for suspending visa liberalization. According to this report, it is an increase of 108 percent compared to the same period last year.
While the diplomats of the European Union say that the total number is not so big if compared to some other countries, it is still an indication that visa liberalization is being misused by the citizens of Kosovo. Some countries are starting to raise concerns about this.
In the report, the European Commission concluded that Kosovo is continuing to fulfill the criteria for visa liberalization, but requires vigilance in the future as well. The EC asks the Kosovo authorities to resume the campaign to inform citizens about the rights and obligations of visa-free travel to EU countries.
The EC has also called on Kosovo and other countries of the Western Balkans to adapt the visa regime to that of the EU. This means that the citizens of the countries for which the EU requires visas have a visa regime in Kosovo as well. So far, citizens of 16 countries that need visas to enter the EU travel visa-free to Kosovo.
Citizens of Kosovo can travel visa-free to the EU since January 1 of this year. A full report on Kosovo with accurate data is expected to be published next year.