Residents of Kosovo are celebrating their accession to the Schengen Zone
Another European country joins the Schengen Zone. Recently, hundreds of Kosovars rushed to Pristina airport to travel to EU countries after the decision to open borders with the EU was made.
Until recently, Kosovo was the only country (partially recognized - ed.) in the Western Balkans whose citizens still needed visas to travel to the EU. Recently, a group of 50 Kosovars won a state lottery paid for by the government, making a trip to celebrate the abolition of visas, as reported by Ekathimerini.
"We waited a long time; it was a long injustice, but finally, we did it," commented Albin Kurti, the prime minister of the republic, on the landmark decision.
It is emphasized that strict requirements from the EU member states and internal disputes delayed the process for Kosovo for many years. At the same time, the Schengen Area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely between member states without passing border controls.
Digging deeper into the story, it is worth noting that in 2018, the EU declared that all of Kosovo's requirements for joining Schengen had been met, but France and the Netherlands postponed this decision, fearing a new wave of migration. Finally, all obstacles were removed, and the country joined the European ranks.
At the same time, the government of Kosovo asked citizens not to abuse the Schengen rules, which allow people to stay 90 days out of 180 as tourists but not work in the EU.
What is known about Kosovo's independence
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but is still trying to become a member of the United Nations due to numerous objections.
Its statehood is recognized by more than 110 countries, and now 1.8 million Kosovo citizens can travel to EU countries without visas.
Kosovo is still one of the poorest countries in Europe, and many people see the abolition of visas as an opportunity to get a job.