SETimes.comGreeks eye neighbours' Schengen plans
25/06/2009
Part of the Schengen Zone since 2000, Greece has had the opportunity to experience both the advantages and the challenges of life without borders.
By Christos Ringas for Southeast European Times in Athens -- 25/06/09
With the EU considering an end to visa restrictions for Western Balkan states which have met the criteria, Greece occupies a unique position in the discussions. Aside from Slovenia, it is the only Balkan state with full membership in the Schengen Zone -- a status which has considerably enhanced its regional role.
Government officials say they are committed to the process. "Greece … is in favour of liberalising the visa regime so that the citizens of the Western Balkans can travel freely in all the countries of Europe," Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said after a May meeting with her Serbian counterpart, Vuk Jeremic.
Public opinion, however, entertains some scepticism about the benefits of open borders, with some worrying it will contribute to a rising tide of economic migration. In recent years, Greece has found itself in the position of admitting more than 2 million foreign workers. While they have become a vital part of the economy, the influx has also altered the country's social and cultural fabric.
Remembering a time of greater homogeneity, Greeks are still coming to grips with such changes. Moreover, many blame migration for the rising tide of organised crime. Fewer border restrictions, critics argue, could be a boon to trafficking networks which operate across the Balkans.
Even as it mulls the prospect of removing the hurdle of visas, Greece still maintains restrictions designed to keep economic mobility under control. Children of legal immigrants, for example, do not become naturalized, but remain designated as foreigners.
At the same time, the authorities have taken steps to make life less difficult for visitors. In May of last year, the country eliminated the visa application fee for Serbs, and has said it will extend this privilege to other countries which have met the required provisions under the Schengen acquis.
Greece currently requires visas from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Bulgarian, Croatian and Romanian citizens are allowed to enter the country without one.
During her meeting with Jeremic, Bakoyannis described Serbia as an "integral part of the European family". Greece, she said, is "ready to receive many Serbian friends as tourists who will come to visit us this summer".
She has also given her backing to Albania's efforts to meet the Schengen criteria. "We support the visa liberalisation process with Albania as a very important process for the increase of inter-human contacts among the Western Balkan countries," she said.
Macedonia, meanwhile, is waiting to see if the decades-old name dispute with its neighbour becomes a factor. The European Commission recently confirmed that Skopje has met the requirements for visa-free travel.
In the past, Athens has suggested that its stance on easing the visa regime would be linked to the name issue. In a May 11th statement to the A1 television network, however, Greek Ambassador Aleksandra Papadoniou said that her country supports Macedonia's inclusion the Schengen "White List". She did not name any special conditions.
According to Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bocevski, Greece is unlikely to block the process, even though it earlier derailed Macedonia's NATO bid and has threatened to veto its EU accession.