Long columns to get out of Kosovo, exiles being mistreated by Serbs

Up to seven hours of exiles have waited in Merdare to get out of the border. As long as they had decided to spend the holidays in Kosovo, they have faced many-hour waitings both to enter the country and to leave. From the National Centre for Border Management has become known that waiting at the Merdare border point during yesterday has been 6 hours and 40 minutes to 7 hours to leave the country.

Long-standing car columns yesterday have even been found at the border point of northern Macedonia with Kosovo. Citizens have also waited for hours at this point, as document control procedures have been slow. For more, with long waiting exiles also faced with entry into Kosovo. According to reports, before the New Year exiles have waited up to six hours to enter the country.

Despite hours of waiting, exiles have also had problems at the border checkpoint in Merdare.

On Saturday, it was reported that they had their tires pierced until their cars broke down. A fellow traveler, who lives in Germany, has told about the media that after crossing the border point he had stopped to rest at a jar of derivatives. According to him, during the break some Serbs had broken his car, which was then not lit. I stopped for a gas station for an hour and a half. I had slept a little bit in the car, and the windows had evaporated. I tried to turn the car on so it could warm up, because I wanted to keep going, but it didn't start. When I got out some Serbs there told me don't prove that you're breaking up more”, he said.

He has made it known that Serbs had asked him for two thousand euros to fix his car. However, he had told them that there was enough money to pay the required amount until they had lowered the price to 900 euros. Because it was cold and because he had two children with him and his wife, he had agreed to pay them. Then he said that he was transported to a village miles away from the pump. I was told we'd send somewhere to fix it. We got in the truck, and it was very cold, I had the kids, I've experienced horror. They told me the car was fixed and I have to pay a thousand and 500 euros. I told them I don't have 700 euros. I gave it to them, and as a threat, they told me that they should bring the rest to”, he said.

There have been problems in this country too, Neziri Mehmetaj. It has been stopped Friday by the Serbian state, where it is also in detention with suspicion of “War crimes”.