Serbia see everything suddenly tourism boom from countries whose citizens never had tourism and shopping opportunities on their radar. This is largely due to the Balkan country’s generous entry rules, which have made it a key stopover for migrants seeking to reach Europe without risking a perilous sea crossing.
A recent flight from Turkey to Belgrade — one of half a dozen scheduled daily — was filled with people from African and Asian countries who do not need visas to enter the European country.
But that is changing as Serbia faces pressure from the European Union, which it wants to join, to introduce visas for countries that have become a source of migration to the 27-nation bloc. .
EU officials say thousands of travelers who entered Serbia and other Western Balkan countries as tourists in recent months ended up seeking asylum in EU member countries.
The bloc is concerned because the Balkan region is already seeing a rise in the number of people coming from the Middle East, Asia and Africa en route to the prosperous heart of Europe where they hope to find a better life. The EU is hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees and is grappling with soaring prices and an energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.
Hoping to ease some of the pressure, the EU has urged Serbia – as well as other Western Balkan countries seeking EU membership, such as Albania, Bosnia and Montenegro – to align their entry rules for travelers match those of the bloc.
“We have seen a significant increase in the number of migrants using the Western Balkan route and, not least, we are seeing those traveling visa-free via Western Balkan partners also coming to the European Union “, said Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs. said this month.
The Balkan Route leads from Turkey and Greece through North Macedonia and Bulgaria to Serbia and continues towards the borders of EU members Hungary, Romania and Croatia. Balkan crossings normally intensify in autumn and winter, when bad weather adds to the dangers of an already perilous journey over the Aegean Sea.
Serbia’s visa-free travel policy with countries like India, Cuba, Tunisia and Burundi has made Belgrade Airport an alternative entry point for migrants from these countries, who then head to the north and west of the EU. In July, Indians entered the top 10 asylum-seeking nationality groups for the first time, according to the European Asylum Office.
“Now that we see these Cubans, Indians and Burundians arriving in very large numbers in the European Union, of course we have to tackle this problem,” Johansson said.
Serbia introduced visas for Burundian nationals this month and announced it would do the same for Tunisians next month, while other countries will follow by the end of the year.
Human rights lawyer Nikola Kovacevic, who deals with migration, said Serbia experienced a similar problem in 2016-2018, when it was forced to introduce visas for Iranians.
But he added that fake tourists represent only a small fraction of migrants crossing the Balkans.
“In terms of numbers, they cannot even be compared to the number of people who still use irregular land routes,” Kovacevic said.
He explained that the reasons for the increase in migration to Europe are many: the end of travel restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, global uncertainty fueled by the war in Ukraine, food shortages and impending energy crises and climate change.
“This trend will continue until the root causes of forced migration are properly addressed,” Kovacevic added.
This surge is visible everywhere in Serbia: reception camps are full to capacity, migrants can be seen walking along highways and railway tracks, camping along borders with EU countries or sleeping on the streets in the towns.
They often spend weeks or even months in the Balkans before entering the EU’s passport-free travel zone, often facing abuse by smugglers and pushbacks at borders.
At a Serbian reception center near the southern border with North Macedonia, several dozen people lined up on a long wooden bench in a gym, waiting patiently to be checked in. They had just arrived that morning from North Macedonia.
“It’s a huge increase compared to last year… every day we have 100, 300, 400 new migrants (in the camp),” said Slobodan Savovic, camp coordinator. “They come at all hours of the day.”
Savovic said the strong upward trend started about two months ago, while most arrivals from the south still come from Syria or Afghanistan. Few remain in Serbia and seek asylum there.
Mohammad Mohammadi, an 18-year-old Afghan, said he wanted to go to Germany. He said he traveled from Turkey to Greece, where he was stopped by police who ordered him to undress and took photos.
“In my country, it’s a fight,” he said. “I’ve seen fights.”
This story was published from a wire feed without modifications to the text. Only the title has been changed.