ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - Croatia understands the reasons why Great Britain has introduced a visa regime for Croatian citizens but it hopes the measure will be short-lasting and temporary, a spokesman for the Croatian Foreign Ministry,
Zeljko Trkanjec, said on Thursday. "We understand the reasons which forced Great Britain to act this way and we hope the measure will be short-lasting", Trkanjec said. The British authorities on Thursday announced that at 1 o'clock after midnight CET on Friday, November 19, they would introduce visa requirements for Croatians travelling to Great Britain or using British airports in transit. The reason for the introduction of the visa regime is an increase in the number of Croatian Serb citizens seeking asylum in Great Britain. According to Trkanjec, more than 1,000 Croatian citizens, mostly Serbs, have sought asylum in Great Britain so far.
ZAGREB, Nov 18 (Hina) - Croatia understands the reasons why Great
Britain has introduced a visa regime for Croatian citizens but it
hopes the measure will be short-lasting and temporary, a spokesman
for the Croatian Foreign Ministry, Zeljko Trkanjec, said on
Thursday.
"We understand the reasons which forced Great Britain to act this
way and we hope the measure will be short-lasting", Trkanjec said.
The British authorities on Thursday announced that at 1 o'clock
after midnight CET on Friday, November 19, they would introduce
visa requirements for Croatians travelling to Great Britain or
using British airports in transit.
The reason for the introduction of the visa regime is an increase in
the number of Croatian Serb citizens seeking asylum in Great
Britain.
According to Trkanjec, more than 1,000 Croatian citizens, mostly
Serbs, have sought asylum in Great Britain so far. Both countries
believe they are seeking asylum for economic rather than for
political reasons.
Representatives of the Croatian Foreign Ministry visited London in
July this year and their British colleagues paid a return visit to
Zagreb shortly after that. Measures for curbing new arrivals were
agreed on at these meetings, and the Croatian media reported
British immigration officials were sent to Zagreb airport so that
fake asylum seekers could be prevented from entering Great
Britain.
"The Croatian and British foreign ministries have done all they can
to reduce the inflow of asylum seekers but they continued to arrive
via Budapest airport", Trkanjec said.
Croatia contacted Hungary in an attempt to solve the problem, but
Hungarian authorities cannot control Croatian citizens at their
airports because they are citizens of a third country, Trkanjec
said.
"We are warning Croatian Serb citizens planning to seek asylum in
Great Britain that British authorities are aware that they are
seeking asylum for economic and not political reasons, and that
they will be denied asylum", the spokesman said.
"This measure by the British government will not affect our
bilateral relations because both countries understand what the
issue is", Trkanjec said, adding though the decision was
detrimental for all Croatian citizens.
(hina) rml