Belgrade, Dec. 22 2009 ( Serbia Today) - As of December 19th, Serbian citizens with biometric passports can travel throughout the EU Schengen area without visas. To mark the occasion Serbian Government organized and paid for fifty citizens to take a trip around Europe.
The group of 50 will visit Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and Rome. Before their departure Friday night, the first Serbian no-visa travelers were greeted at the Belgrade airport by Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić. Wishing the Serbians a safe trip and exciting time in Europe were officials of the French, Italian and Germany Embassies in presence as well.
First to cross the border after midnight on December 19 was Vuk Jeremic, the Serbian foreign minister, and local officials from the town of Subotica around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Hungary. Several dozen of citizens from a neighboring town of Kanjiza then followed, walking across the border. Hungarian Border policemen gave Serbian travelers a flier with all the information they need for visiting an EU country, their rights and obligations. Many of those traveling have a close family relatives across the border and seeing them more often now will be a reality.
Visa liberalization for Serbian citizens was long expected and desired in Serbia. It remains to be seen what it will bring to both EU and Serbia. While some are still concerned with the security risks, others wonder if EU will experience new (Serbian) wave of the low cost high qualified seasonal illegal work force. In most of the EU countries average pay is over 10 times higher than in Serbia.
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