Europe has never been further away for the citizens of Krajina. They wait for hours at the very gates of the European Union to reach their homes. The new European passenger registration system, instead of faster crossing, has brought for many kilometers long queues and waiting times of up to ten hours. The EES has changed the everyday life of citizens living in border towns, but also the everyday life of the diaspora, and the tourist season is just ahead of us. From Europe to the border in just three hours, and then another ten hours of waiting at the border itself – this is what the journey of many Krajina residents who live and work in the European Union looks like. And everyone is dissatisfied on both sides of the border.
The experience of crossing the border
“It only took a few seconds for the EES to remember us. However, problems only arise when there are crowds and when the conditions for crossing the border are not ideal, like today,” the report states.
“And when the crowds start, this is what reality looks like.”
At the Izačić and Maljevac border crossings during the May Day holidays, citizens waited up to ten hours. The journey home for many Krajina residents who live and work in EU countries has become a nightmare.
“I don’t think anyone is satisfied, I personally am not, because I always go to the doctor, I don’t even go to the seaside, but regardless…”
“We have visas, we don’t have to go out, but it’s still a disaster,” citizens say.
Local communities most affected
Local communities in the Una-Sana Canton (USK) also feel the problem every day, which, due to the large number of residents in the diaspora, suffer the consequences of long waits at the border. Bihać, Cazin and Velika Kladuša are the most affected.
“Here, traffic jams last for 8–9 hours. Our fellow citizens who live and work in the European Union come to Maljevac from a European city in 3–4 hours and then wait there for 9 hours,” says Fuad Sulejmanagić, advisor to the mayor of Velika Kladuša.
The cantonal authorities are also warning that waiting for several hours is no longer reserved only for summer traffic jams. They are announcing joint action by local communities.
“We will go first of all to our municipalities and cities of Bužim, Cazin, Velika Kladuša and Bihać, to determine the specific problems we are facing, and then we will go to the EU with these problems,” says Mustafa Ružnić, Prime Minister of USK (NES).
Initiative and reactions from the region
The voice of the citizens was heard even beyond the borders. The local portal launched an initiative for the temporary suspension of EES during the summer holidays. Our diaspora is the most affected by the consequences of the establishment of the new system.
“We come when we have an extended weekend – Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Thursday, Friday, until Sunday – and we have to lose 20-30 hours at the border due to waiting”, says Denis Rizvić, owner of the “Border crossing Maljevac” portal.
Their initiative was also read in the Croatian Parliament.
“I don’t think anyone deserves to wait for ten hours to enter their homeland and their homes. Therefore, considering that we share the longest land border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I hope that we will start working on a solution as soon as possible,” says Armin Hodžić, a member of the Croatian Parliament.
Attitudes of institutions and tourism
We also looked for answers in the Croatian MUP. They said that no member state of the European Union has so far requested the suspension of the system. However, in times of heavy traffic, they state that certain facilitations in the application of the system are possible, in the form of deviations from taking biometric data, but with mandatory scanning of passports. This is, however, limited to only six hours a day.
The problems of BiH citizens were also discussed in Brussels last week, claims Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konaković. He is not optimistic. He believes that Croatia will not do anything on its own initiative, and that Europe is only now realizing the problem created by the new system.
“This is another argument why politicians in BiH should do everything they can to get closer and enter the EU, so that we can take pictures of someone at our border, and not have them take pictures of us,” says Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH (NiP).
The consequences of long waits will also be reflected in tourism. Tourism workers fear that the queues could deter some visitors.
“Especially at a time when tourists can choose where they want to travel and want to embark on that journey without stress, however, the very entry into BiH is already causing them frustration,” says Dijana Pečenković, director of the Bihać Tourist Board.
The border as an everyday problem
The border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia is not just an administrative line. Families, workers, tourists and businessmen cross it every weekend. That is why it is not just cars that are waiting in the queues at Izačić and Maljevac – life is waiting and standing still.
