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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Schengen white list for Serbia safe by end-year

Belgrade, 26 May 2011

Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said today that this summer there will be no danger for the white Schengen for citizens of Serbia travelling to the Schengen zone, and that the end of the year is the first moment when the EU countries could apply the change of the regime for our citizens.

Djelic said after meeting with European Parliament Rapporteur for visa liberalisation for the Western Balkans Tanja Fajon that the European Commission last week adopted a proposal for the introduction of clauses that would give countries of the Schengen area the ability to temporarily lift the white Schengen list regime for the countries from which there is the largest number of false asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.

We expect that such changes be adopted at the EU summit on 24 June, which then enter the procedure in the European Parliament and may be adopted by year's end. In other words, during summer there is no risk to our white Schengen list, said the Deputy Prime Minister.

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the Serbian police will step up controls on borders and will demand that citizens have evidence of the purpose of their travel, contacts in the country they visit, proof of social security, a return ticket and proof of enough money.

He said that the number of false immigrants seasonally increases and added that Serbia wants to prevent what happened last summer, when the number of Serbian false asylum seekers in the Schengen area increased significantly.

Visa free travel is the most tangible part of the Serbian European achievements, said Djelic and added that the government will not allow this achievement to be at risk.

Fajon pointed out that it is not possible to tolerate the increased number of Serbian asylum seekers, especially in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Germany.

She expressed satisfaction with the new Serbian government's measures.

She expressed hope that the EU will never trigger the suspension of visa-free regime for Serbia and that Serbian authorities will do everything for this not to happen.

Today’s arrest of Ratko Mladic for Serbia means removing another block in the process of EU integration and has a special significance for reconciliation in the Balkan region.