Visa-free travel to the Schengen area for citizens of Kosovo entered into force
In recent months, the Kosovan government has been running a campaign urging citizens not to misuse the upcoming freedom of travel to look for a job in the EU. The government in Pristina sees the reform as a further step towards full recognition of Kosovo, which has been independent since 2008, and EU accession.
According to the EU Commission, Kosovo had already fulfilled all the conditions for visa-free entry into the Schengen area in 2018. However, the entry into force of the travel facilitation was blocked by France and the Netherlands, who feared a new wave of migration.
EU members Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain also opposed the reform. These five countries do not recognize Kosovo's independence. This also represents a significant obstacle to the small Balkan country joining the EU. Kosovo, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Albanians, declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after the Kosovo War. Serbia does not recognize this step either.
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Source: www.stern.de
