Serbia toughens visa rules as migration prompts EU pressure

By IVANA BZGANOVIC and JOVANA GEC
Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia is seeing a sudden tourism boom from countries whose citizens never had its sightseeing and shopping opportunities on their radar. That’s largely due to the Balkan country’s generous visa rules, which made it a key stop for migrants seeking to reach Europe without risking a perilous sea crossing. But this is changing as the Balkan nation faces pressure from the European Union, which it wants to join, to introduce visas for countries that have become a source of migration toward the 27-nation bloc. The EU is worried, as the Western Balkans are already seeing a rise in migration by people from the Middle East, Asia and Africa on their way to Europe’s prosperous heartland.