"Albanian asylum seekers will be sent back"

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said that Serbia is dedicated to returning all its citizens that sought asylum in Belgium. He said that Serbia's visa-free travel regime with the EU will not be jeopardized by Belgium's objections to the growing number of persons from southern Serbia seeking asylum in that country. "Albanian asylum seekers will be sent back" "In the coming days, there will be talks with the European Commission and Belgian officials, and in the coming period, there will be a joint action for stopping such trends," Dacic said. "The issue is with (ethnic) Albanians from south Serbia and Macedonia, but we have not received enough information yet. The number is not as high as it has been reported, because it is about 300 people. After entering Belgium with biometric passports, they ask for asylum, stating also that they have no personal documents. We will react and preventively explain to citizens that false asylum seekers will not receive asylum and that they will all be returned based on the readmission agreement," Dacic said. He said that there will also be investigations into whether there are criminal ties to the growing number of people seeking asylum in Belgium, adding that police have already found out the names of agencies that are transporting these persons. Dacic said that possible trends of change of residence of Albanians from Kosovo, moving to southern parts of central Serbia, is also being monitored. "Stopping the trend of false asylum seekers is very important in order not to jeopardize the visa-free regime. This case with Belgium is the only one of its kind thus far, and it is the only objection coming from the EU," Dacic said. Those seeking asylum go to Belgium most frequently because the country offers the best conditions, including hotel accommodations. They either say they have no personal documents or claim they are running from political persecution. According to Belgian conventions, they cannot be returned to their country of origin immediately, but if they prove to be abusing the system for mainly economic reasons, they will be returned, Belgrade daily Blic writes. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug, file)

"Albanian asylum seekers will be sent back"

"In the coming days, there will be talks with the European Commission and Belgian officials, and in the coming period, there will be a joint action for stopping such trends," Dačić said.

"The issue is with (ethnic) Albanians from south Serbia and Macedonia, but we have not received enough information yet. The number is not as high as it has been reported, because it is about 300 people. After entering Belgium with biometric passports, they ask for asylum, stating also that they have no personal documents. We will react and preventively explain to citizens that false asylum seekers will not receive asylum and that they will all be returned based on the readmission agreement," Dačić said.

He said that there will also be investigations into whether there are criminal ties to the growing number of people seeking asylum in Belgium, adding that police have already found out the names of agencies that are transporting these persons.

Daćić said that possible trends of change of residence of Albanians from Kosovo, moving to southern parts of central Serbia, is also being monitored.

"Stopping the trend of false asylum seekers is very important in order not to jeopardize the visa-free regime. This case with Belgium is the only one of its kind thus far, and it is the only objection coming from the EU," Daćić said.

Those seeking asylum go to Belgium most frequently because the country offers the best conditions, including hotel accommodations. They either say they have no personal documents or claim they are running from political persecution.

According to Belgian conventions, they cannot be returned to their country of origin immediately, but if they prove to be abusing the system for mainly economic reasons, they will be returned, Belgrade daily Blic writes.