Year of liberalization/ Over 7300 buses with travelers left Kosovo for Europe this year

From January 1st, 2024, when the European Union (BE) has lifted visas for Kosovars, until the end of November of this year, thousands of buses packed with travellers have been launched from the Autobus station in Pristina to various EU states.

In addition to buses, tens of thousands of Kosovars have traveled to Europe this year, as well as planes from “Adem Jashari” in Pristina, as well as private cars.

Most bus start towards Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland,...

From the bus station in Pristina (SAP) lets know about Front Online that this year there is an increase in the number of bus stops for about 26%.

For various Western European destinations, we have forwarded a total of 7,301 buses”, the bus station for FrontOnline says in response.

From the SAP, they have stressed that the number of major departures is toward Germany.

“Constinctions with most startups are: Germany, Austria, Slovenia. Compared to 2023, this year the number of departures for different Western European destinations has increased by 25.9% or 1,890 more than last year”, the SAP's response reported.

Even in statistics published by Pristina International Airport “Adem Jashar” it is said that compared to June 2023 in the same period of this year, the number of passengers has increased by 20.46% more.

While the number of flights from 10,460 has gone to 11,948, which at percentage points to 14.3% growth. As early as November 2023 alone, 1,480 flights were registered, but in the same month, but in 2024 2,036 flights were realised, where the percentage difference is 37.57%.

Kosovo Tourism Association Chairman and Company Director” Sharr Travel”, Ruzhdi Kurtishaj, has talked about the impact of visa liberalisation on increasing international travel requirements by Kosovo citizens.

He said that since the beginning of 2024, travel requirements abroad have increased dramatically by up to 300%.

Kurtisha stressed that since January, even though it was the first month after last month's holidays, many citizens have visited destinations in Europe and the region, including Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

“Viti 2024 from January 1st, which has occurred visa implementation for Kosovo -- requirements for exiting Kosovo -- have been 100% or 200% or 300%. With the end of January, although it has been the first month after the end of the year's holidays, there have been many Kosovars who have visited Europe, who have visited various countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and then this trend has continued even in April and May, then a stabilisation of the country's” has begun, Kurtisha said.

In addition, Curtisaj said this trend has continued in the coming months, with an increase in travel requirements to cities like Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Milan and Istanbul.

The citizens are currently visiting Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Milan and Istanbul. From January to May, they visited both Thessaloniki and Dubrovnik and the countries of the region, from September to September they visited other countries such as Budapest, Vienna, Milan, Venice”, says Curtisaj.

He also mentioned that, in the January-November 2024 period, there has been a decline in travel to Tirana, but a significant increase in trips to Istanbul and other destinations.

This year's January-November “we've had a decline for Tirana 13%, or 3,500 less travelers, compared to the same period in 2023, if we talk about other countries, we have a huge increase in citizens who have travelled to Istanbul, this year with Sharr Travel, 1319 travelers, as many citizens traveled at economic prices”.

Kurtisha made a comparison with traveling to Switzerland in 2023 and 2024, showing that about 160% have increased demand.

“For Switzerland during 2024 with the Sharr Travel Company have travelled over 10,000 travelers for January-November 2024, while during 2023 there were 4 thousand travelers, so there are 150-160% more, exactly 6,200 passengers we had in 2024 than in 2023”, Kurtisha noted.

Sosovar asylum requests. Raised by 10.8% in seven months, EU is taking measures

Still making it full of a year without a visa regime, EU institutions have begun to raise concerns as far as Kosovo is concerned, due to the massive increase in unbased asylum requirements made by citizens of the Republic of Kosovo in the Schengen Zone countries.

A European Commission report that has been handed over to the European Parliament and the Council of Europe has stressed that in the first seven months of 2024, 3 thousand and 905 applications have been submitted in EU member states, or 108 % more compared to the same period in 2023.

This data stems from reports some states have made regarding asylum demands submitted by citizens of the Republic of Kosovo.

However, some member states reported a significant increase in unbased asylum demands submitted by Kosovo citizens since the beginning of 2017. In the first seven months of 2024, 3 905 applications have been submitted by Kosovo citizens to EU member states (+10.8% compared to the same period in 2023)”, the report European Commission has submitted to Parliament and the Council says.

Although the report finds that Kosovo continues to meet the requirements regarding visa liberalisation, the European Commission stresses that further efforts are needed, requiring more rigorous control of the visa-free arrivals of third-nation citizens, especially of countries that pose security risks or irregular migration.

Also called for strengthening recently launched initiatives in co-operation with member states to monitor the issue of unbased asylum demands from Kosovo citizens to member states. /FrontOnline/