The Chairperson of the SDP Caucus in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina sent an open letter to the Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ambassador Luigi Soreca. The letter addressed the issue of difficulties at EU border crossings for citizens of the region following the implementation of the new passenger control system.
At the beginning of the letter, Magazinović asked Soreca to help end the “humiliation and harassment of people at EU borders,” caused by the new Entry/Exit System (EES) passenger control method.
“It is clear to you that we are not speaking against security measures, but it is also clear to all of us that we live in the 21st century, where technologies are much more advanced than what is being done to people at the borders, and that all of this can and must be done differently. Hours-long waits at border crossings, which citizens perceive as humiliation and harassment by the EU, send a completely wrong message to EU candidate countries. Therefore, it is no surprise that many view this situation as worse than the imposition of a visa regime. It is difficult to illustrate the benefits of EU membership to people while, in practice, such a relationship exists. It is hard to believe that this is not a restriction of freedom of movement or a way of deterrence from crossing EU borders,” Magazinović stated at the beginning of the letter.
He then warned that in the upcoming tourist season, the consequences of this system will also be deeply felt by EU countries.
“It is encouraging that some EU Member States also recognize this and have identical requests regarding the abolition and correction of this obviously counterproductive passenger control system. I have discussed this topic at several addresses recently, including the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. I am glad to say that I encountered understanding and a readiness to address this issue at the level where the decision was made,” Magazinović stated, concluding:
“I ask the same of you and hope for your understanding. Of course, it is known that you are not the decision-maker, but you are the person representing the EU in our country, and in that context, it is logical to expect your increased engagement.”
As a reminder, the EES is implemented at all external borders of the Schengen Area and applies to third-country nationals – Western Balkans, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova – traveling for a short stay, meaning the new rules apply to everyone who is not an EU citizen.
Since the EES entry and exit system began implementation on April 10, major and long-lasting delays have been recorded at the borders due to complex verification methods.
Today, several weeks later, passengers across Europe face serious delays at border controls due to the new system, which was supposed to speed up and digitalize procedures, but passengers’ experiences show the opposite.
Passengers report hours-long waits, technical difficulties during scanning, and a lack of personnel. Due to the crowds, some have missed flights and suffered significant financial losses.
At the BiH border crossings with the European Union, the picture is the same – long lines and hours of waiting in cars.
