The number of unfounded requests for asylum from Kosovo increased by over 100 percent, after the removal of visas

The European Commission (EC) has warned on Monday that in some member countries of the European Union there is a large increase in the number of unfounded requests for asylum from citizens of Kosovo, in the first year after the lifting of the visa regime.

However, Kosovo in general continues to fulfill the criteria for visa liberalization, the EC said in its latest report in the framework of "mechanisms for the suspension of visa liberalization".

The European Commission compiles such reports for all countries enjoying visa liberalization to see if there is a need to consider the possibility of restoring the visa regime.

This is the first time that Kosovo is included in such a report since the EU removed visas for Kosovo citizens from January 1 of this year.

From January to July of this year, an average of over 550 Kosovars have sought asylum in European countries every month.

This figure is significantly higher than the average in the past six years.

But, in the report, it is emphasized that, for Kosovo, it is still too early to make accurate findings about what impact visa liberalization has had, since there is no data for the whole year.

In next year's report, the EC will have the complete data available.

However, the report states that "several member countries have reported a significant increase in unfounded requests for asylum from citizens of Kosovo since the beginning of 2024".

"In the first seven months of 2024, 3.905 requests for asylum were submitted in EU countries by citizens of Kosovo, which represents an increase of 108 percent compared to the same period of the previous year," the report states.

In this report, the European Commission requests that the Kosovo authorities establish mechanisms for the exchange of data with member countries to observe the flow of illegal immigration and the trends of asylum requests.

Kosovo is also requested to resume the internal information campaign on the rights and obligations when traveling to the countries of the Schengen Area and to cooperate bilaterally with the countries that are most affected by the occurrence of unfounded asylum requests.

Another issue that the European Commission has requested from Kosovo regarding the continuation of fulfilling the criteria for visa liberalization is the adaptation of Kosovo's visa regime to that of the EU. This is the request of the bloc for all the countries of the Western Balkans region.

The EU requires all countries in the region to fully adapt this regime to that of the bloc, which means that for all countries for which the EU requires visas, they must also.

Kosovo currently has 16 countries whose citizens need visas to travel to the EU, but can come to Kosovo without visas. This possibility of visa-free travel to the countries of the Balkan region for the EU is considered a potential risk for illegal immigration to its member states.