If I could walk today, I wouldn't be caught here: Interest in passport Increases

Now, if I can, go. Asham would catch me here. I'm looking forward to January”.

By the 1st of this month, Kosovo citizens will be able to move freely to dozens of European countries, and the stance says there is nothing more than travelling to Germany to its uncles.

As 25-year-old, he was first equipped with a passport ten days ago.

He says he works in a private construction company in Kosovo, which “does not pay well”.

I'll try to work in Germany, once in three months. Later, I hope to remain there”, says the stance, not wanting to be identified by a surname.

Visa liberalisation allows visa-free travel for only up to 90 days within six months to any of the 27 member states of what is known as the Schengen area.

But such trips should serve only for tourist visits or family issues, and do not imply work permits or other benefits.

Like the stance, tens of thousands of Kosovo citizens have applied for their first passport this year.

The data that Radio Free Europe has provided from the Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs covers the 1 June 6th of this year, and, according to them, there are 51.365 citizens who have applied for their first passport.

Compared to the figure of the same period last year, 48,791, is more than 2.574 applications.

Among them dominate 0-2-year-old groups and 18-22-year-old groups.

Ardi Ukaj, 21, applied at the end of October to be equipped with a passport for the first time as well.

REL met him at the Pristina Documentation Centre, where he was interested in whether his document is ready.

Germany is also to its desired destination.

But as tourists, visiting... I don't work without regular documents, because I'm barred from access and I don't risk”, Ardi says. /Full text: REL/