Croatian Eurodeput: Serbia rewards citizens of countries that do not recognise Kosovo

The MEP of the European Parliament, Croatian Carlo Ressler, sharply criticised Serbia for the visa regime at the plenary session in Strasbourg, which is causing a dramatic increase of illegal migrants on the so-called Balkan route from countries it did not previously have, such as Burundi, India and Cuba.

War in Ukraine triggered the largest movement of displaced persons in Europe since World War II. At a time of deep uncertainty for the entire continent, a dramatic increase of illegal border crossings on the so-called Western Balkans Way with over a hundred thousand illegal immigrants this year is also being witnessed, Klankosova broadcasts.tv.

As the Croatian medium “Direktno” reports, twenty thousand illegal crossings have been registered only in September, which is twice as much compared to last year.

Eurodeput Ressler participated in the European Parliament's plenary debate over the impact of Ukraine's Russian military invasion on the migration flows towards the European Union, stressing that the situation is bad and risks becoming extremely evil, mainly because of Serbia's actions.

With unscrupulous misuse of the visa regime, Serbia rewards states that do not recognise Kosovo and thus enables migrants from countries from which there has been no significant influx of migration to appear on European borders once darkness falls. Establishing migration pressure on national and European borders once again opens a fundamental question of Serbia's civil orientation. In this crisis under way, she [Serbia / Saint.red] appears less European”, Ressler said in a speech at the plenary session.

If this continues, the highest price for this insincere and anti-European government policy will unfortunately be paid to the citizens of Serbia. In Europe, no form of state role in artificial migration can be overlooked. Especially when it comes to a regime that still finds its model in Russia and privileged political and energy relations with Moscow”, the Croatian representative of the European Parliament, Carlo Ressler, concluded.

Days ago, the European bloc's Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johannson said the possibility of the European Union suspending visa liberalisation for Serbia is not ruled out.