EC: Changes to Serbian Citizen Law pose Danger to EU Security

A European Commission spokesman, answering Radio Europe Free questions has recalled that Serbia, as well as other countries in the region, should adjust its visa policy to that of the European Union.

The European Commission is aware of the large number of Russia's citizens who are deployed in Serbia following Russia's aggression against Ukraine. As by a candidate country, Serbia is expected to progressively adapt to European Union policies and decisions. The commission is carefully monitoring the situation and exchanging information with Serbia's authorities regarding the presence of Russia's citizens in Serbia”, this European Union spokesman has said.

The EU has repeatedly called on Serbia to take into account the concerns of Brussels and member states for the potential risk the presence of Russia's citizens in Serbia, and especially if they are provided with documents that enable them to travel unhindered to European Union countries.

The European Commission has expressed its concern due to the planned changes to the Law for Citizenship in Serbia and the political and security risk it poses to the EU, taking into account that Serbia's citizens enjoy the possibility of visa-free movement in the EU. The European Commission has asked Serbia to take into account these concerns”, this EU spokesman has declared.

“Following the proposal for the new citizenship law, the procedure for granting citizenship would be simplified in Serbia after a short time stay. Through the simplified procedure, citizens of third countries, who under other circumstances would need visas to travel to the EU, will have access to free movement”, the European Union's response reported.

The European Commission says it will continue contact with Serbia's authorities on this issue.

According to an analysis that has made Radio Free Europe, in the first seven months of this year the number of Russian citizens who have obtained citizenship in Serbia is the number throughout 2022.

While the number of citizens from Russia who were supplied with Serbian citizenship with simplified procedures is better than the number of all foreign citizens combined.

In the year of Ukraine's Russian occupation, hundreds of thousands of Russians called for a temporary or permanent stay in Serbia.

In 2022, the number of Russian citizens who received the Serbian passport tripled compared to the year before the occupation.

This trend continued in 2023.

The State Law allows the Government to grant citizenship with specific procedures under certain conditions.

As defined in the law, citizenship is granted according to that procedure if “citizenship accession would represent an interest” for Serbia.

Under decisions by the Government of Serbia published in “Official Gasette”, Serbian citizenship had received 76 citizens of other nationalities by 21 August. Most of them come from Russia.

Earlier this year, the EC warned that Serbia would risk a visa-free regime due to simplified procedures for obtaining Serbian citizenship.

Serbia is among the few countries in Europe that have not imposed sanctions on Russia and has been flying directly with Moscow since the beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine.

Serbia in the past has had problems in reports with the European Union even because of visa liberalisation with several third states such as Iran, Tunisia, Cuba, China, Burundi and several other countries whose citizens require visas for EU travel. This has influenced citizens of these countries to come visa-free to Serbia and move to EU countries illegally, causing increased asylum seekers from these countries.

After withdrawing remarks from the EU, that there may be suspension of visa liberalisation for Serbia, Belgrade has begun to adapt to EU visa policy and has returned visas for citizens of these states. The EU also urges other countries in the region to be careful with laws on granting citizenship to foreigners and the visa regime. / REL