Brussels-based correspondent Augustin Palokaj in his opinion piece today writes that visa liberalization wouldn’t help in solving the problems of the people of Kosovo. “This topic is being discussed for eight years now. For each year, politicians promise that this year or next year Kosovars will travel to Europe without visas. Politicians didn’t make promises based on the belief that visa liberalization would really happen. But, they have calculated that for the people there is no other option but to hope that, if not this year, then next year they would be able to travel without visas. And one day, visa liberalization will happen. And when that happens, politicians as Hashim Thaci and Isa Mustafa would be able to say: I told you so! And instead of requesting accountability from them t to why Kosovo has waited so long, Kosovars will thank them for achieving this goal,” Palokaj writes.
According to Palokaj, the problem is that visa liberalization will not solve the main problems of the people of Kosovo. “It is completely unacceptable that Kosovars remain the only ones in the region who cannot travel without visas in the EU. Even with visa liberalization, Kosovo citizens will not be able to go and work for a better life in the EU countries. The mass migration risk analysis in case of visa liberalization will be one of the main criteria under which EU countries will decide when to remove visas for Kosovo citizens. The more there will be corruption in Kosovo, failure of the judiciary, unemployment and reasons to leave, the more will be delayed the visa liberalization. Kosovars should worry more about the large number of those who, if given the opportunity, would leave Kosovo because they don’t see a future here,” Palokaj concludes.
