Serbia Revokes Visa Exemption for Iranians

The Serbian government on Wednesday, October 9, issued a decree revoking the visa exemption for Iranian citizens traveling to the country. It has been just over a year since Serbia had exempted Iranian nationals from obtaining a visa to enter the country.

The Serbian government decree, published in the country’s official gazette, states: “The Government of the Republic of Serbia has decided to terminate its previous decision to waive the requirement for citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran to obtain a visa.”

The two countries have maintained close relations since the early 1990s, when the former Yugoslavia collapsed in war, when Serbia was part of Yugoslavia. Last summer, Belgrade decided to exempt Iranians from obtaining a visa in order to boost the country’s tourism industry and gain access to non-European markets.

However, Serbian authorities say the number of illegal Iranian migrants attempting to reach European Union countries through Serbia is substantial.

Nebojsa Stefanovic, Serbia’s interior minister, warned on Wednesday while speaking in parliament about the number of Iranians who are “misusing” visa-free travel to Serbia.

Radoslav Djevic, a manager at the Refugee Protection Center based in Belgrade, told Reuters in an interview: “This measure is a reaction to a problem that many Iranians have created by entering Serbia, as they are trying to travel west or are applying for asylum.”

In the current year alone, approximately 1,100 Iranians have formally declared asylum in Serbia to be transferred to refugee centers, where they receive shelter and daily meals.

Currently, approximately 4,000 refugees from Asia, the Middle East, and other parts of the world are registered in centers affiliated with the Serbian government. Meanwhile, hundreds of other migrants remain stranded in Belgrade or on the border between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU member countries.

Source: Radio Farda