Kosovars Celebrate Joining Europe’s Visa Free Zone

Hundreds of Kosovars rushed to Pristina airport to travel to EU countries on Monday after visas for Europe’s open-borders Schengen zone were waived.

Kosovo was the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens still needed visas to travel to the EU, many of whose members are part of the programme.

“I do feel as free as a bird now that I can travel all over (Europe),” said Habib Spahiu who was travelling with his son for a two day visit to Vienna.

He was part of a group of 50 people who won a state lottery, paid for by the government, taking the trip to mark the visa free process.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti greeted travellers at the airport.

“We have been waiting for to long, this has been a long injustice but finally we made it,” Kurti said.

The Schengen area allows more than 400 million people to travel freely between member countries without going through border controls.

REUTERS