{"id":85740,"date":"2023-02-09T10:04:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-09T09:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/?p=85740"},"modified":"2023-02-10T09:52:45","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T08:52:45","slug":"we-are-in-a-real-ghetto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/we-are-in-a-real-ghetto\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We are in a real ghetto\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"85740\" class=\"elementor elementor-85740\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-97a9dff elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"97a9dff\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8b7c0d2\" data-id=\"8b7c0d2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b448335 elementor-fixed elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b448335\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;fixed&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"150\" height=\"53\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO.png\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-image-73970\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9a93bb4 elementor-widget__width-initial elementor-fixed elementor-widget-mobile__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-wpml-language-switcher\" data-id=\"9a93bb4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_position&quot;:&quot;fixed&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"wpml-language-switcher.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpml-elementor-ls\">\n<div\n\t class=\"wpml-ls-statics-shortcode_actions wpml-ls wpml-ls-legacy-dropdown js-wpml-ls-legacy-dropdown\" id=\"lang_sel\">\n\t<ul>\n\n\t\t<li tabindex=\"0\" class=\"wpml-ls-slot-shortcode_actions wpml-ls-item wpml-ls-item-en wpml-ls-current-language wpml-ls-item-legacy-dropdown\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" class=\"js-wpml-ls-item-toggle wpml-ls-item-toggle lang_sel_sel icl-en\" target=\"_blank\">\n                <span class=\"wpml-ls-native icl_lang_sel_native\">ENG<\/span><\/a>\n\n\t\t\t<ul class=\"wpml-ls-sub-menu\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"icl-sq wpml-ls-slot-shortcode_actions wpml-ls-item wpml-ls-item-sq wpml-ls-first-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\" class=\"wpml-ls-link\" target=\"_blank\">\n                            <span class=\"wpml-ls-native icl_lang_sel_native\" lang=\"sq\">SHQ<\/span><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"icl-sr wpml-ls-slot-shortcode_actions wpml-ls-item wpml-ls-item-sr wpml-ls-last-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/sr\/\" class=\"wpml-ls-link\" target=\"_blank\">\n                            <span class=\"wpml-ls-native icl_lang_sel_native\" lang=\"sr\">B\/C\/S<\/span><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\n\t\t<\/li>\n\n\t<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-54966dd elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"54966dd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d1fa2a8\" data-id=\"d1fa2a8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ec8e43 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9ec8e43\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-1024x576.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-84633\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image-326x183.jpg 326w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Feature-Image.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-47c9b43 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"47c9b43\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e7db8b5\" data-id=\"e7db8b5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf465e1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"cf465e1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">\u2018We are in a real ghetto\u2019\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a1c7943 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a1c7943\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><br><br>Kosovars grow weary of the EU's isolating visa regime.\n<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3083cfa elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"3083cfa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-divider__text elementor-divider__element\">\n\t\t\t\t09\/02\/2023\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f8e62d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f8e62d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Story by <a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/author\/aulonek\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"text-decoration:  underline; text-decoration-color: yellow\" href=\"\">Aulon\u00eb Kadriu<\/a>\n<br>Additional reporting and writing by <a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/author\/vjosa-musliu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"text-decoration:  underline; text-decoration-color: yellow\" href=\"\">Vjosa Musliu<\/a><\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1183a22 elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text elementor-widget-divider--element-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"1183a22\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-386c556 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"386c556\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1166226\" data-id=\"1166226\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-480c08c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"480c08c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy doesn\u2019t he get a megaphone?\u201d asks a 73-year-old woman waiting among around 50 other people in front of the Prishtina offices of TLScontact, an international visa application center. From the back of the line she can hardly hear the guard reading out names from a piece of paper, so she keeps her eyes on his mouth, like many of the others nervously waiting in line, and tries to read his lips.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another name is called out. \u201cThat\u2019s me,\u201d a man says, interrupting the quiet noises of applicants flipping through their papers and folders. Everyone makes room as he shuffles to the front of the queue.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The rest wait. They ask each other questions. \u201cIs this your first time?\u201d \u201cWhere to?\u201d Some ask for tips from those who&#8217;ve been here before.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the exhaustion, there is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a sense of solidarity. People give each other advice and offer more comfortable waiting spots to the elderly. \u201cGood luck,\u201d they say to each other, convinced as they are that it all depends on luck.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guard shouts another name but no one responds. He raises his voice and tries again. The urgency of his voice unsettles the crowd.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People periodically exit the building carrying envelopes that hold their fate i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nside. Was their visa application approved or rejected? Will they be able to visit their family? Go on vacation? Get medical treatment abroad? Some<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> play it cool and walk off with their sealed envelope in hand. Others anxiously tear it open the second they get outside. Some celebrate and immediately call their loved ones with the good news. Others look dejected, and walk off either angry or dazed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A new face joins the queue.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Everyone except Kosovo<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe people of a multiethnic a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nd a democratic Kosovo will have their place in Europe,&#8221; reads a statement from the European Union (EU) from a few days before the 2003 <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/PRES_03_163\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thessaloniki Summit<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. &#8220;The Balkans will be an integral part of a unified Europe.\u201d <\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The EU partially fulfilled this second promise by 2010, when citizens of all Balkan coun<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tries were free from expensive and bureaucratic visa requirements<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to enter Schengen countries on a short term basis. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Except Kosovo.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ea636b3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ea636b3\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5cea272\" data-id=\"5cea272\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a5e71be elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a5e71be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">The Schengen Area and the European Union<\/h4><div>\u00a0<\/div><p>The Schengen Area and the European Union<br \/>The Schengen Area is a group of 27 countries that have abolished passport and border controls along mutual borders.<br \/><br \/>Though most Schengen countries are also EU members, there are some non-EU Schengen countries (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland) and non-Schengen EU countries (Bulgaria, Romania, Ireland and Cyprus).<br \/><br \/>Croatia, which has been an EU member state since 2013, joined the Schengen zone in 2023.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5e5dd0a\" data-id=\"5e5dd0a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09b80ad elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"09b80ad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">Only in 2012 did the EU provide Kosovo with a <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: -0.1px;\" href=\"https:\/\/eeas.europa.eu\/sites\/default\/files\/visa_liberalisation_with_kosovo_roadmap.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">visa roadmap<\/a><\/span><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">, the requirements the country would have to fulfill to gain access to visa-free travel to the Schengen area. While neighboring countries received roadmaps back in 2008 with 40 requirements each, Kosovo&#8217;s had 93. By 2016 Kosovo had ticked off all the boxes on the roadmap. Then the EU introduced two new requirements: ratification of a border demarcation deal with Montenegro and improvements in the fight against corruption.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In March 2018, against <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/sq\/n%C3%ABn-tymin-e-gazit-lotsjell%C3%ABs-n%C3%AB-kosov%C3%AB-ratifikohet-demarkacioni-me-malin-e-zi\/a-43074868\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strong opposition<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Kosovo\u2019s legislature ratified the agreement for border demarcation and a few months later the European Commission confirmed that Kosovo <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eeas.europa.eu\/node\/48608_en#:~:text=The%20Commission%27s%20proposal%20from%204,in%20the%20visa%20liberalisation%20roadmap\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">had fulfilled<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the benchmarks. It would now be up to the EU Council and EU Parliament to adopt the proposal to lift the visa regime for Kosovo, a step that has continuously been blocked, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.schengenvisainfo.com\/news\/eu-rapporteur-for-kosovo-france-and-netherlands-are-responsible-for-delayed-kosovo-visa-liberalization\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><u>particularly by<\/u><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> France and the Netherlands.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5a1001f elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5a1001f\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-dd756b1\" data-id=\"dd756b1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6637b9d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6637b9d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">By 2010, all Balkan countries were free from expensive and bureaucratic visa requirements to enter the EU. <\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b96fbb0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b96fbb0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b513e19\" data-id=\"b513e19\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8142836 elementor-headline--style-highlight elementor-widget elementor-widget-animated-headline\" data-id=\"8142836\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;marker&quot;:&quot;double_underline&quot;,&quot;highlighted_text&quot;:&quot;EXCEPT KOSOVO.&quot;,&quot;highlight_animation_duration&quot;:1800,&quot;highlight_iteration_delay&quot;:9500,&quot;headline_style&quot;:&quot;highlight&quot;,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"animated-headline.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-wrapper elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-text elementor-headline-text-active\">EXCEPT KOSOVO.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ef33551 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ef33551\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2b3979c\" data-id=\"2b3979c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15b11ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"15b11ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Kosovars must jump endless hurdles to travel to EU states, Kosovo has symbolically welcomed the EU wholeheartedly. When Kosovo declared independence in 2008, the <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2008\/2\/17\/kosovo-set-to-declare-independence\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">de facto<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> national anthem was \u201cOde to Joy,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/idUSBYT642665\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the anthem<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the EU and the&nbsp;<\/span>EU Council. Kosovo\u2019s <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">current anthem is a lyricless song titled \u201cEurope\u201d and the national flag was designed to resemble the EU flag, a nod <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to the country\u2019s drea<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ms of European integration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the EU encourages this symbolic identification with Europe and repeats the mantra that \u201cKosovo\u2019s future belongs in the EU,\u201d its visa regime suggests otherwise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late 2022, the European Parliament and Council announced that Kosovo would have visa liberalization by 2024 at the latest. But the response in Kosovo was tepid, given the years of unfulfilled visa promises from the EU. For over a decade, Kosovars have been some of the last Europeans who must deal with expensive, time-consuming and at times arbitrary visa application procedures in order to travel through Europe. With the recent outsourcing of short-term visa processing to private companies, there are additional concerns about data privacy, extra charges and violations of the EU Visa Code.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2a2b1ec elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2a2b1ec\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3413875\" data-id=\"3413875\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b5b9e35 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b5b9e35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_008.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-84657\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_008.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_008-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_008-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_008-326x245.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d17664a\" data-id=\"d17664a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9f7ba5f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9f7ba5f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_009.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-84660\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_009.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_009-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_009-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_009-326x245.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8d7da07 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8d7da07\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-08f63ac\" data-id=\"08f63ac\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f88555 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2f88555\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Kosovars who travel frequently to the EU end up with passports full of short-term visas. These photos shows visa data from three Kosovars. Each line represents a short-term visa.<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e3d27fb elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e3d27fb\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9b8cc28\" data-id=\"9b8cc28\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-faf8490 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"faf8490\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>A messy process<\/b><\/p><p>Enduena Klajiqi was 17 when she got the news that she was accepted to a university in Belgium. The joy of the acceptance letter was soon overshadowed by the process of securing a\u00a0long-term\u00a0visa.<\/p><p>She started to collect the necessary papers: proof of her parents\u2019 salaries and work contracts, a court document showing that she wasn\u2019t under criminal investigation, x-rays, blood tests and more.\u00a0To be accepted by the embassy, her medical records had to be signed by the head of the Infectious Disease Clinic at Kosovo\u2019s University Clinic. It took her three days to track him down. \u201cWhen I\u00a0found him he was at a meeting, there was nothing I could do so a nurse told me to just sit and wait near his office,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is a very messy process.\u201d<\/p><p>Because Belgium does not have an embassy in Kosovo and their outsourced visa processing services in country only handle short-term visas, Klajiqi had to first get a visa to travel to Bulgaria\u00a0(which is part of the EU but not part of the Schengen area) in order to apply for a visa at the Belgian Embassy in Sofia.<\/p><p>\u201cThe procedure is ridiculous,&#8221; she said, &#8220;having to apply for a visa in order to apply for a visa.&#8221;<\/p><p>But no matter how onerous or expensive, \u201cthey know we will do\u00a0it,\u201d she said. \u201cThey know that whatever happens we will find the documents, we will find a way, we will find the money to finish all the procedures.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><p>K2.0 spoke with over a dozen Kosovars who have applied for multiple Schengen visas\u00a0\u2014 all of them highlighted the dehumanizing aspects of the process. Contemporary artist Driton Selmani, who must travel frequently for exhibitions and work, said, &#8220;Every time I have to apply, at some point I end up asking myself: Should I just give up?\u201d\u00a0<\/p><p>The Visa Code, the document regulating visa application procedures for EU member states, is supposed to ensure that the \u201chuman dignity and integrity of applicants\u201d is respected. None of the Kosovars K2.0 spoke with were aware of the existence of the Visa Code and many have since learned that Visa Code regulations were not upheld in some of their past applications. Albanian is not one of the 25 languages the code is available in.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-62193e4 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"62193e4\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-fd5d886\" data-id=\"fd5d886\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f254eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0f254eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between 2013 and 2015, mos<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t EU countr<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ies o<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">utsourced visa application processing for Kosovars to two private companies, TLScontact and VFS Glo<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TLScon<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tact is an EU-registered company with headquarters in Paris that processes <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tlscontact.com\/en\/about-us\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 million<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> visa applications worldwide annually. It <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arbk.rks-gov.net\/page.aspx?id=2,38,126468\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">registered<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Kosovo in 2018 and operates in 89 other countries. The Swiss Embassy \u2014 which in Kosovo represents Luxembourg, Austria, Fran<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ce, Belgium<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the Netherlands for short-term visa applications \u2014 has outsourced visa services to TLScontact.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Swiss Embassy told K2.0 that the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">y did so due to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an increase in visa applications, limited human resources and the new burden of including biometric data collection in visa procedures. It was a decision, they said, &#8220;taken in the interest of the customers&#8221; that would increase their capacities.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arbk.rks-gov.net\/page.aspx?id=2,38,124397\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VFS Global<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, headquartered in Dubai, operates in 144 countries. In Kosovo, the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> embassies of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sweden, Norway, Finland, Slovenia and Croatia outsource their visa application procedures to VFS.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-64ad15c\" data-id=\"64ad15c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aae6395 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"aae6395\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>What\u2019s the Visa Code?<br \/><br \/><\/h4><p>The EU Visa Code was established in 2009 as the set of regulations dictating the procedures and conditions for short-term visas to member states. In applying the Visa Code, states are required to uphold all EU laws, including the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.<\/p><p>There are two annex documents connected to the code, Visa Handbooks I and II. Visa Handbook I covers the processing of visa applications and the modification of issued visas. Visa Handbook II covers the administrative management of visa processing and local Schengen cooperation.<\/p><p>Although the handbooks aren\u2019t legally binding obligations, the contents are based on and refer to legal acts that \u201cproduce legally binding effects and can be invoked before a national jurisdiction.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b99a2bf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b99a2bf\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ab22d0c\" data-id=\"ab22d0c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc8157d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fc8157d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Croatian Embassy in Kosovo told K2.0 that they outsourced visa applications to VFS because \u201cit enabled faster processing of visa applications [and] improved service standards for visa applica<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nts.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since September 2022, Germany&#8217;s visa services have been outsourced to the company <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arbk.rks-gov.net\/page.aspx?id=1,38,224150\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VisaMetric<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which registered in Kosovo in 2021. According to their website, they operate more than <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visametric.com\/Kosovo\/Germany\/en\/p\/about-visametric\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> visa application centers in 11 countries.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though all this outsourcing was done in the name of efficiency, many Kosovars find the current process to be as confusing and discouraging as ever. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn recent years, the wait has prolonged. In the last two years it has been a catastrophe,\u201d said Fitore Gashi, a web-developer currently living in Germany.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the ma<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in difficulties is obtaining a visa appointment. Though the Visa Code calls for visa appointments to be available within two weeks, Kosovars often must <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/balkansgroup.org\/en\/visa-regime-for-kosovo-will-the-eu-end-this-long-suffering\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wait<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at least a month and as long as f<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In August 2022, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 contacted TLScontact to ask for their earliest appointment. None were available until Octob<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">er.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a statement to K2.0, the German Embassy said that after outsourcing visa processing to VisaMetric, wait times for appointments have been reduced from as many as six months down to two, which is still four times as long as the Visa Code calls for.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">LGBTQ+ act<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ivist Blert Morina faced problems due to these de<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lays last fall <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">when he was set to attend a meeting of human rights defenders<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Sweden. He said that though the event organizers wrote to the Swedish Embassy one month prior to the departure date, the only available appointment was five days before the start of the meeting, leaving little time to receive a response and plan the trip accordingly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-209a943 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"209a943\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2536cb8\" data-id=\"2536cb8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26cc947 elementor-headline--style-highlight elementor-widget elementor-widget-animated-headline\" data-id=\"26cc947\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;highlighted_text&quot;:&quot;a month.&quot;,&quot;highlight_animation_duration&quot;:2000,&quot;highlight_iteration_delay&quot;:9500,&quot;headline_style&quot;:&quot;highlight&quot;,&quot;marker&quot;:&quot;circle&quot;,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"animated-headline.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-plain-text elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">The Visa Code calls for visa appointments to be available within two weeks but Kosovars often must wait at least<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-wrapper elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-text elementor-headline-text-active\">a month.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5cd1638 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5cd1638\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-88a71f1\" data-id=\"88a71f1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-131e998 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"131e998\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Visa Code calls for visa applicants to receive a decision on their application within 15 days, though it sometimes takes longer.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Morina did receive his visa in the end, but he was given roughly two hours&#8217; notice that he had to immediately travel from Prishtina to pick it up at the Swedish Embassy in Skopje, North Macedonia.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Swedish Embassy blames Covid for the visa application delays and said that &#8220;most applicants receive an appointment at VFS within a few weeks.&#8221; VFS has not responded to K2.0\u2019s questions.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eroll Bilibani, the producer and head of DokuLab, Dokufest film festival&#8217;s educational program, has face<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d challenges helping his students access arts and cultural events in the EU due to these visa appointment delays. DokuLab students, he<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> said, &#8220;<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cannot make spontaneous decisions to go somewhere, to see something. They need to plan to attend an exhibition three to five months in advance. This is truly a great discrimination.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Obtaining a visa appointment is easier for those <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">who can afford to pay up for<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> premium services. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VFS touts that for an additional 30 euro fee<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, applicants c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an submit their applications on the day of their choice, receive assistance from a dedicated team member and submit any missing documents on the same day. An additional 12 euro fee allow<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s applicants t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">o submit their application outside normal work hours. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TLScontact and VisaMetric offer similar &#8220;Added Value\u201d and \u201c<\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visametric.com\/Kosovo\/Germany\/en\/p\/news\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VIP<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liri Hashani, 23, learned in November that some of these added value options are in fact mandatory. When she applied for a German visa at VisaMetric late last year, she was surprised that in addition to the normal 30 euro service fee, she was required to pay for an additional 30 euro \u201cVIP service\u201d to have her passport delivered to her home by courier, despite her desire to pick the passport up at the office herself.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Visa Code states that the service fee paid to the visa application processor must not exceed 40 euros. It is unclear if the requirement for applicants to pay 60 euros for the combined service and courier fees violates the Visa Code or not. Either way, Kosovars are bristling at the additional fee<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a Twitter exchange about VisaMetric\u2019s fee structure, Kaltrina Hoxha <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NorePotera\/status\/1594632864951595008\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">noted<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sardonically: \u201cI live in the same building with VisaMetric, I can go there in my slippers. Still 30 euros\u201d [for the courier service].<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a statement to K2.0, the German Embassy said that they approved VisaMetric&#8217;s decision to make the courier fee mandatory &#8220;in order to maximize the number of applications accepted and processed while avoiding overcrowding of the visa center premises.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, VisaMetric\u2019s website states: \u201cFor family applications (spouse and children), the fee of 30 Euro has to be paid only once. When booking an appointment the charged fee of 30 Euro per person will be reimbursed for the remaining family members on the day of the application.\u201d A VisaMetric employee spoke with K2.0 and said that the company encourages employees to not honor this promise and to withhold reimbursement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 has sent a detailed list of questions on the matter to VisaMetric but has not received a response.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>600,000 visa applications, 99 million euros<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Securing an appointment is merely the first step i<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n applying for a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">visa, a process that involves long lines and trips to a number of offices to collect the required documents.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After arriving at the application center, many complain that they often must wait long after their set appointment to submit their documents. Morina and others also describe the visa application center staff as aggressive a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nd rude.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-529569a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"529569a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-07a9a18\" data-id=\"07a9a18\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d93097f elementor-headline--style-highlight elementor-widget elementor-widget-animated-headline\" data-id=\"d93097f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;marker&quot;:&quot;underline_zigzag&quot;,&quot;highlighted_text&quot;:&quot;99 million euros&quot;,&quot;highlight_animation_duration&quot;:2000,&quot;highlight_iteration_delay&quot;:9500,&quot;headline_style&quot;:&quot;highlight&quot;,&quot;loop&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"animated-headline.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-headline\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-plain-text elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">In eight years Kosovars have spent almost <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-wrapper elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-dynamic-text elementor-headline-text-active\">99 million euros<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-headline-plain-text elementor-headline-text-wrapper\">applying for short-term visas.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2be36de elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2be36de\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e8a3a75\" data-id=\"e8a3a75\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ffc95c7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ffc95c7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For some, the endless queuing and general disrespect emphasizes the feeling that the EU wants to keep Kosovars out. \u201cI never unders<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">tood, why do they have to yell?&#8221; Selmani asked, speaking of the visa centers&#8217; employees.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TLScontact said that they try to welcome applicants in pleasant conditions and that the long queues are due to applicants &#8220;arriving much too early to their appointm<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ents.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to an employee at VisaMetric, applicants are frequently kept waiting three hours beyond their scheduled appointments.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applying for a visa costs not just time, but money. According to one <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/balkansgroup.org\/en\/visa-regime-for-kosovo-will-the-eu-end-this-long-suffering\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the estimated cost for one application is 165 euros.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> According to the latest data from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the average public sector <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ask.rks-gov.net\/en\/kosovo-agency-of-statistics\/add-news\/wage-level-in-kosovo-2021\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">monthly income<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Kosovo is 542 euros. The average private sector <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ask.rks-gov.net\/en\/kosovo-agency-of-statistics\/add-news\/wage-level-in-kosovo-2021\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">salary<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is 376 euros.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Between 2014 and 2021, Kosovars submitted <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/statistics.schengenvisainfo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">around<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 600,000 Schengen visa applications. At 165 euros per application, in these eight years Kosovars will have spent almost 99 million euros applying for short-term visas<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Across this time period, roughly 20% of these applications were rejected.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Costs can be much higher in cases like Enduena Klajiqi&#8217;s. After visa-related fees for Bulgaria, travel costs to Sofia and visa-related fees for Belgium, she spent upwards of 500 euros.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the Visa Code includes provisions for fee waivers for a wide range of cultural and educational visits (particularly for those under the age of 25), many Kosovars who are entitled to these waivers end up paying anyway.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9e58372 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9e58372\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-152d94f\" data-id=\"152d94f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-90f4363 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"90f4363\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 style=\"text-align: left;\">Fee waivers<br \/><br \/><\/h4><p>The Visa Code calls for visa fee waivers for:<\/p><p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>children under six;\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>students, postgraduate students and accompanying teachers who undertake stays for the purpose of study or educational training;\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>researchers traveling for the purpose of carrying out scientific research or participating in a scientific seminar or conference;\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>&#8211;<\/strong>and representatives of non-profit organizations aged 25 years or under participating in seminars, conferences, sports, cultural or educational events organized by non-profit organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-607727c\" data-id=\"607727c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-baaf1d2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"baaf1d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Swiss Embassy told K2.0 that TLScontact is responsible for checking visa fee waiver eligibility. The company includes no information about visa fee waivers on their website. The Swiss Embassy noted that the Visa Code is available to the public, despite the fact that it is not available in Albanian.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TLScontact said that they do not include information on fee waivers on their website because it relates &#8220;to decisions taken by our government client, not by TLScontact. Information is available on the government website.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Swedish Embassy, which VFS processes visas for, said that \u201cthe Embassy makes sure that the right fees are paid and that fee waivers are applied. The Embassy assists VFS if they have any question when someone applies and makes sure that fees are reimbursed if a mistake has been ma<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">de.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5690c41 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5690c41\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ea8664b\" data-id=\"ea8664b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-589899c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"589899c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VisaMetric&#8217;s <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visametric.com\/Kosovo\/Germany\/en\/p\/fees\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">website<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> includes information only about fee waivers due to age.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, K2.0 spoke with a number of people who were eligible for a fee waiver but who ended up paying the fee. Dafina Fo<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ndaj, a pharmacist, paid the fee for her<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> visa to travel to the University of Lublin in Poland to conduct research for<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> her master&#8217;s thesis, scientific research that Kosovo does not have the facilities to support. She was also under 25 at the time.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flaka Rrustemi, who traveled to Italy when she was 22 to participate in a festival through an NGO, had to pay her visa fee, along with other colleagues under the age of 25. \u201cUnfortunately, our access to information is quite limited and the employees at the Embassy do not inform us about such things,\u201d she said, referring to the fact that the group didn&#8217;t know they were eligible for a fee waiver.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eroll Bilibani also noted that Dokufest sends Kosovars between the ages of 17 and 20 on educational trips and cultural exchanges to the EU and has had to pay visa fees for the students.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c2c57fb elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c2c57fb\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f55872d\" data-id=\"f55872d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-20ba7f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"20ba7f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_007.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-84654\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_007.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_007-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_007-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_007-326x245.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1089013\" data-id=\"1089013\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-18b7c43 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"18b7c43\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_004.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-84645\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_004.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_004-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_004-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Visa-Story_Intext_004-326x245.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f6ccd22 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f6ccd22\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8f110cd\" data-id=\"8f110cd\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42be102 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"42be102\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Four-day visas<\/b><\/p><p>Even when Kosovars get a visa, they are sometimes issued ones that have durations of stay or periods of validity shorter than what the Visa Code calls for.<\/p><p>The Visa Code states that &#8220;the period of validity of a visa for one entry shall include a \u2018period of grace\u2019 of 15 calendar days&#8221; and includes an example of what the grace period calculation looks like: &#8220;date of arrival + duration of stay + 15 days of \u2018period of grace.\u2019&#8221;<\/p><p>K2.0 has seen visas granted to Kosovars from EU member states that have periods of validity of seven days and durations of stay as short as four days.<\/p><p>Short validities and durations of stay for visas can be anxiety inducing because a canceled or delayed flight, or other unforeseen event, can cause a visa-holder to overstay their Schengen visa, which may prevent them from receiving a visa in the future.<\/p><p>Dardan Konjufca, a young man from Kosovo, faced just such a situation when his flight to Prishtina from Germany was canceled just 10 minutes before the gate was supposed to open. Konjufca wasn&#8217;t worried about the normal headaches associated with canceled flights, but rather that his visa was set to expire the next day and the airline had offered him alternative flights for two days later.<\/p><p>While others were preparing to stay in Germany a bit longer than planned, Konjufca was preoccupied with finding another flight out the same day so he would not breach his visa, particularly after a German customs officer told him he had to leave Germany immediately.<\/p><p>Though Konjufca asked the\u00a0airline to put him on a flight the same day, he says they told him there was nothing they could do. He was forced to pay for another flight leaving that day in order to not violate his visa. The initial airline refused to reimburse him for his canceled flight because they had offered him an alternate.<\/p><p>Blert Morina had a similar experience with a delayed flight. \u201cWe were at a four day workshop and our duration of stay in the visa was four days. The flight was delayed a bit and we were so stressed about whether we could arrive on time or not,&#8221; he said.<\/p><p>Others face the frustration of getting short-term visas, despite asking for long-term ones. Donika Qerimi applied for a visa in 2018 to go to Belgium in order to defend her Ph.D. There were portions of the defense in December and in January, so she requested a multi-week visa that would cover the whole period. She received a visa for four days instead. She had to file a complaint in order to receive a visa that covered the whole trip.<\/p><p>The Cascade System, which regulates the lengths of visas granted to repeat visa-holders, is supposed to prevent such things from happening.<\/p><p>When travelers on short term visas have a track record of receiving and complying with the terms of past Schengen visas, they are entitled to receive increasingly longer multi-entry visa stays.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a7f2712 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a7f2712\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c0881c1\" data-id=\"c0881c1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71a0482 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"71a0482\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A multi-entry visa valid for up to five years can be issued to applicants who demonstrate a need to travel frequently or regularly, provided they prove their lawful use of previous visas, their economic situation in their country of origin and their genuine intention to leave th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e Schengen area before th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e expiration of their visa.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 has seen a number of Kosovar passports with visas that do not follow the Cascade Syste<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">m. For example, although Selmani, Bilibani, Qerimi and Morina all said they have been regularly traveling to the EU for over a decade, none has received a five-year visa and some have been given short-term visas, sometimes as short as a few days, after having previously held long-term multi-entry visas.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e993e6b\" data-id=\"e993e6b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0fbd8d2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0fbd8d2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>The Cascade System<br \/><br \/><\/h4><p>According to the Cascade System, if an applicant has obtained and lawfully used three visas within the previous two years, they are entitled to a visa with a one-year period of validity.<br \/><br \/>Applicants who within the past two years have held a multiple-entry visa valid for one year are eligible for a two year visa. After using a multiple entry visa of two years, applicants are eligible for a five year visa.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f88a8c3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f88a8c3\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-02e4c62\" data-id=\"02e4c62\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e792143 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e792143\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Bilibani said that despite never breaking any visa rules and traveling frequently, he was recently granted a six-month visa after previously having held a three-year visa, a seeming violation of the Cascade System.\u00a0<\/p><p>The Swiss, German, Swedish and Croatian Embassies have all said\u00a0that they strictly apply the system.<\/p><p>Even receiving a short-term visa is experienced as a victory, because it is common for applications to get rejected on what appears to be an arbitrary basis.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4fee0e7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4fee0e7\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-01cc143\" data-id=\"01cc143\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13422d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"13422d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-85855\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/GRAPH_VISA_FINAL-326x183.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fe3b5be elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fe3b5be\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ec90a32\" data-id=\"ec90a32\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f84115d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f84115d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Morina has been rejected five t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">imes and is doubtful he&#8217;ll try again if he has to apply.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilibani was also rejected once. In 2018, he was invited to speak at the Berlin International Film Festival &#8211; Berlinale, but the German Embassy denied him a visa with the justification that a document was missing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Missing documents are a particular scourge for visa applicants because the requirement to provide \u201cdocuments in relation to accommodation, or proof of sufficient means to cover accommodation\u201d can be interpreted subjectively.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Visa Code states that when application reviewers determine that sufficient documents have not been provided then the application is inadmissible and the reviewing body should without delay \u201creturn the application form and any documents submitted by the applicant, destroy the collected biometric data, reimburse the visa fee, and not examine the application.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilibani said that in his case the above procedure was not applied and that his visa was examined, and then rejected.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A number of people have told K2.0 of experiences when visa processors informed them that their applications were missing documents, including ones which were nowhere listed as a required document for an application. They were then offered the possibility of submitting the missing document for an additional fee.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TLSContact and the Swiss Embassy deny that there is a mandatory fee to submit a missing document. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">VFS and VisaMetric did not respond to questions on the matter.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicants whose applications are rejected have the right to appeal. It can be a burdensome or expensive process and each country has its own procedures. While appealing a visa rejection from the Swiss Embassy costs around 200 euro<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s, more than it costs to apply for a visa, a<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n appeal to Sweden or Norway does not require a fee. An appeal to the Croatian Embassy costs 43 euros.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><b>Data protection, transparency and privacy<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, the EU enacted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which gives EU citizens and residents more control over how their internet data is collected, used and protected. Strict rules now require organizations to secure the personal data they collect through safeguards like mandatory encryption. The GDPR also gives EU citizens and residents the right to retrieve personal data from public and private institutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 spoke with scholars and activists who specialize in public governance and issues related to the GDPR who raised questions and concerns about TLScontact&#8217;s accumulation and processing of data from non-EU nationals. Who, they asked, owns the medical, legal and financial data of the tens of thousands of Kosovars who apply for EU visas every year through TLScontact?<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before outsourcing their visa services, the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consulates or embassies handled every part of the visa process. Now private companies are tasked with handling and protecting the sensitive documents and information that is required to receive a visa, which, depending on the country, could include details about HIV status, bank savings and account numbers, mental health conditions, sexual orientation and more.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5501e79 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5501e79\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9036474\" data-id=\"9036474\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7d58957 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7d58957\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The GDPR requires EU citizens and residents to be fully informed of how their data will be used.\n<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-330e446 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"330e446\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cbe9e50\" data-id=\"cbe9e50\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10447dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10447dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Switzerland, which handles applications for many Schengen-area countries, is not an EU member nor must it comply with the GDPR. Ho<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wever, TLScontact, which handles Switzerland&#8217;s visa processing and is an EU company, is required to comply with GDPR privacy and data rules even when dealing with non-EU citizens like Kosovars. The Swiss Embassy told K2.0 that they comply with the GDPR in all parts of the visa application process and<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> TLScontact said that all data they collect from visa applicants &#8220;is fully encrypted and then sent to secure government servers, before being purged from our systems.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key component of GDPR safeguards is that EU citizens and residents must be fully informed how their data will be used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 submitted questions to EU member state embassies in Kosovo who are represented by TLS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact, VFS or VisaMetric<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> about how exactly they use applicants&#8217; data. The few who responded stated generally that they take data security seriously and adhere to the GDPR throughout the visa applic<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ation process.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, an employee at VisaMetric\u2019s Prishtina offices told K2.0 that there is little regard for the protection of applicants\u2019 physical documents and data in the process of transporting applications to and from the German Embassy and then onward to applicants through the courier service. According to this employee, the lax procedures have led to applicants\u2019 documents or passports being lost. VisaMetric did not respond to a request for comment.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns about privacy and data protection were at the center of some politicians\u2019 and activists\u2019 <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/germany-privatizes-visa-application-services\/a-41054375\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">protests<\/span><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Germany when the country announced in 2017 that they planned to begin transferring visa application processing to private companies.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">K2.0 spoke with Thomas Tombal, a researcher at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands who works on data protection and data governance issues, about information provided to K2.0 by TLScontact. He expressed concern that they don\u2019t indicate what kind of data EU governments use or for what purpose.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn these responses [from TLScontact], a lot gets lost in translation: what are the responsibilities of the public guarantor \u2014 the embassy \u2014 the private company, and the legislation in place where they operate,\u201d said Tombal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though TLScontact told K2.0 that they \u201cdo not sell the personal data collected from visa applicants,&#8221; their website says that they transfer &#8220;some personal data to countries, territories, or organizations that are located outside the European Economic Area.\u201d It is unclear whose data they transfer, under what legal basis and to whom. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4ec33b8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4ec33b8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2747ecf\" data-id=\"2747ecf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83c03dd elementor-blockquote--skin-quotation elementor-blockquote--align-center elementor-blockquote--button-color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"83c03dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\"There is no reason why the embassy should want to peek at my personal savings. It is a breach of privacy and it is degrading.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">- Eroll Bilibani<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-53eaa9b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"53eaa9b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-8e75dd7\" data-id=\"8e75dd7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-90c41c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"90c41c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Concerns about privacy go beyond arcane data protection laws, but efforts to push back can negatively affect applicants&#8217; chances of getting a visa. When Er<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">oll Bilibani was rejected for his visa to attend the Berlinale in 2017, his visa was rejected because he declined to hand over his bank account statements, showing instead financial statements from the cultural organization that was covering his trip. \u201cI submitted the bank statements of our organization because our expenses are covered by the organization,&#8221; he said, &#8220;so there is no reason why the embassy should want to peek at my personal savings. It is a breach of privacy and it is degrading.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some Kosovars also complain about privacy breaches in the personal part of the application process. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Fitore Gashi was applying for a family reunion visa to go to Germany, she had to submit proof of her husband\u2019s employment and salary as part of the documentation. The employee processing her file said, \u201cWow, what a nice salary your husband has. Where does he work?\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is a question they should have never asked me. It is none of their business\u201d, said Gashi, who despite feeling affronted at the breach of her privacy, was aware that she was not free to withhold these sensitive documents from the application nor confront the visa processor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After applying for a visa for Greece, Driton Selmani also had a jarring experience that raised questions about privacy issues. Like all applicants, he had to provide proof of accommodation, in this case by reserving a hotel for his stay. But at one point, because his visa had a period of validity of three months, he chose to postpone his trip by a week and rebook at a different hotel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Shortly after, he was shocked to receive a phone call from the Liaison Office of Greece in Prishtina&nbsp;asking why he&#8217;d canceled his hotel reservation. &#8220;It felt as if someone had come into my bed right between me and my wife,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>K2.0 reached out to the Liaison Office of Greece in Prishtina&nbsp;about the incident but has received no response.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPrivacy is a human right; it is enshrined in important EU and international legislation. If certain EU governments deny that right to non-EU citizens, they are saying that the non-EU citizens are not human beings, thus undeserving of this right,\u201d said Aral Balkan, a cyber activist based in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ireland.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Looking forward<\/b><\/p>\n<p>On December 14, 2022, the same day Kosovo\u2019s leaders signed the country\u2019s application for EU membership, the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement to \u201cgrant short term visa freedom to Kosovo.\u201d The agreement calls for visa freedom to be in place by 2024 at the latest, following the implementation of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), an EU border control system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">After years of disregard and eternal delays in the visa liberalization roadmap, after years of arbitrary visa application rejections and Visa Code violations and tens of millions spent in fees, Kosovars are mostly exhausted with the process. Besid<\/span><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">es the one to two year wait, it now seems little stands in their way of gaini<\/span><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">ng access to visa-free travel to the EU and the Schengen zone. But <\/span><span style=\"letter-spacing: -0.1px;\">Kosovars have had their hopes dashed before, and the reception to the most recent news was muted. Some believe that this is the last step, but to them it&#8217;s coming too late.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meanwhile, Kosovars will continue straining to hear the guard outside the private visa processing centers in Prishtina. For <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">at least the rest of this year, they <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will continue to host celebration dinners when they receive short-term visas and the fortune tellers who specialize in visa affairs \u2014 who cast<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> good-luck spells on passports \u2014 will continue to do swift business.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhere is your invitation? Where are you going? How long will you be staying? How much cash do you have on you?\u201d Blert Morina recalls police officers asking him each time he enters the EU. He\u2019s decided that if he needs to travel to the EU any time soon he will only do so if an organization that has invited him will handle the application process \u2014 he\u2019s too frustrated to go through it again on his own only to be treated like a criminal on the border.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Until the day the visa regime is lifted, people like Eroll Bilibani will remain jaded by their travels. On his last trip to Germany he was stopped in the airport on arrival by a police officer and told to pull out his cash to prove he could cover his expenses. This happened despite the fact that he had a visa and had been invited by an organization that covered most of his expenses. \u201cYou need to have a bag of documents, to convince them you are good enough for them,\u201d he said<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though visa liberalization appears to be coming, the EU has left Kosovars living in, as Bilibani put it, &#8220;a ghetto, a real ghetto.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ffbaee9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ffbaee9\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-675aa11\" data-id=\"675aa11\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f3340ed elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f3340ed\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Feature image: Atdhe Mulla \/ K2.0.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f91698d elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"f91698d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ac6f642 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ac6f642\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a7d030b\" data-id=\"a7d030b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d64d00 elementor-countdown--label-block elementor-widget elementor-widget-countdown\" data-id=\"0d64d00\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"countdown.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-countdown-wrapper\" data-date=\"1704063600\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-countdown-item\"><span class=\"elementor-countdown-digits elementor-countdown-days\"><\/span> <span class=\"elementor-countdown-label\">Days<\/span><\/div><div class=\"elementor-countdown-item\"><span class=\"elementor-countdown-digits elementor-countdown-hours\"><\/span> <span class=\"elementor-countdown-label\">Hours<\/span><\/div><div class=\"elementor-countdown-item\"><span class=\"elementor-countdown-digits elementor-countdown-minutes\"><\/span> <span class=\"elementor-countdown-label\">Minutes<\/span><\/div><div class=\"elementor-countdown-item\"><span class=\"elementor-countdown-digits elementor-countdown-seconds\"><\/span> <span class=\"elementor-countdown-label\">Seconds<\/span><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9c3093f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"9c3093f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Time left until January 2024, by which date the EU has said it will deliver on its promise of visa-free travel for Kosovo's citizens. <\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ENG SHQ B\/C\/S \u2018We are in a real ghetto\u2019 Kosovars grow weary of the EU&#8217;s isolating visa regime. 09\/02\/2023 Story&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":463,"featured_media":84633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[972],"tags":[114],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85740"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/463"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85740"}],"version-history":[{"count":304,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85740\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86150,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85740\/revisions\/86150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84633"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}