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In the second year of visa liberalization for Kosovo, asylum requests in the EU fall
2025-12-23 21:15:50 / KOSOVA
Visa-free travel to 29 Schengen area member states, mainly EU member states…
This news came with the warning that visa liberalization could worsen the migration trend from Kosovo.
And, during the first year, in 2024, this is exactly what happened, according to data from the EU's Statistical Office, Eurostat.
The trend, however, changed in the second year of visa-free travel.
Although January of this year marked the highest number of asylum requests from Kosovo citizens in European Union countries for a single year, the trend declined significantly in the following months.
In some months, this number was even lower than in the years before visa liberalization.
In principle, visa liberalization allows visa-free travel for only up to 90 days – within six months – to any of the 29 member states of the Schengen area.
Visa-free travel should be primarily for tourist visits, family matters or similar purposes, and not for work or other benefits.
There were concerns in Kosovo that many young people might use this opportunity to try to find work or seek asylum.
Although in the past there were significantly higher numbers of men seeking asylum in the EU, this difference has almost disappeared in the last two years.
This year, in addition to the overall decline in the number of asylum seekers, there has also been a drastic decline in the number of asylum seekers under 14 years of age.
This is good news for Kosovars, as the trend of higher asylum applications also jeopardizes the visa liberalization agreement.
The European Union has in its hands the so-called Visa Suspension Mechanism.
With this mechanism, a non-EU country, such as Kosovo, can have its visa exemption temporarily suspended if it abuses it or there is a significant increase in irregular migration.
Furthermore, this month, the Council of the European Union included Kosovo on the list of safe countries of origin, in an effort to accelerate the return of migrants, making it more difficult for citizens from these countries to seek asylum in the EU./ REL
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