Officials say EU visa situation "serious"

Slobodan Homen has said that the situation is serious regarding EU's potential reintroduction of visas for Serbia because of fake asylum seekers.

Izvor: B92

Monday, 16.05.2011.

11:50

Default images

Slobodan Homen has said that the situation is serious regarding EU's potential reintroduction of visas for Serbia because of fake asylum seekers. But the state secretary at the Justice Ministry and government coordinator for public relations told B92 TV late on Sunday that "it does not mean it is going to happen soon". Officials say EU visa situation "serious" "The situation is serious, but it does not meant the visas are going to be introduced any time soon," Homen said, adding that it could happen if Serbia fails to do everything in its power to reduce the number of fake asylum seekers. "The EU currently has no mechanism for visa reintroduction, meaning a suspension of the whole process, but the issue of setting up the mechanism will be opened very soon," he noted. According to Homen, Serbia cannot solve the issue on its own, but needs coordination with the countries of the Schengen Area. "We need to show that we are truly willing to cooperate and that we are better than everyone in the region," he stated, adding that there would be changes to the country's laws to define seeking asylum abroad on false grounds a criminal act. Head of the EU integration office Milica Delevic said it was in both Serbia's and EU's interest to find a solution to the problem. "This is now a challenge for us, how to protect something we have gained through the EU integration process," Delevi said, adding that Serbia could lose the visa free regime, while the EU could lose funds. Slobodan Homen (Tanjug, file)

Officials say EU visa situation "serious"

"The situation is serious, but it does not meant the visas are going to be introduced any time soon," Homen said, adding that it could happen if Serbia fails to do everything in its power to reduce the number of fake asylum seekers.

"The EU currently has no mechanism for visa reintroduction, meaning a suspension of the whole process, but the issue of setting up the mechanism will be opened very soon," he noted.

According to Homen, Serbia cannot solve the issue on its own, but needs coordination with the countries of the Schengen Area.

"We need to show that we are truly willing to cooperate and that we are better than everyone in the region," he stated, adding that there would be changes to the country's laws to define seeking asylum abroad on false grounds a criminal act.

Head of the EU integration office Milica Delević said it was in both Serbia's and EU's interest to find a solution to the problem.

"This is now a challenge for us, how to protect something we have gained through the EU integration process," Delevi said, adding that Serbia could lose the visa free regime, while the EU could lose funds.

Komentari 0

0 Komentari

Možda vas zanima

Podeli: