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Table of contents
Context (TH): Kosovo recently obtained visa-free access to the Schengen zone in Europe.
Kosovo
It is a self-declared independent country in the Balkans region of Europe.
It is a landlocked country also, it is the smallest country in the Balkans.
Kosovo is a member of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Kosovo lacks legal statehood, according to the UN, and is denied recognition by Russia and China.
The Balkans is the geographic name of southeastern Europe. The name is derived from the Balkan Mountain range.
Balkanisation is the division or fragmentation of a larger sovereign state into smaller, often ethnically similar, states.
Schengen Zone
The Schengen zone is named after the Luxembourg village, where the agreement was signed in 1985.
It is an area encompassing countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. It is the world’s largest free movement area.
It mostly functions as a single jurisdiction under a common visa policy for international travel purposes.
Of the 27 EU member states, 23 participate in the Schengen Area.
EU states not part of the Schengen Area: Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, and Ireland
Non-EU states part of the Schengen Area: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Norway.
Croatia, an EU member since 2013, joined Schengen in 2023.
Romania and Bulgaria, EU members since 2007, will have partial Schengen entry in March.
Importance:
People from any country enjoy the advantage of travelling freely across multiple European nations using a single Schengen visa.
EU member states see visa-free borderless travel, coupled with the unified currency adopted by 20 EU countries, as a prominent symbol of European integration.
Schengen crisis: The reintroduction of border checks as a chain of reactions during the 2015migrant crisis.
Dublin Regulation: it is a law that determines which country in Europe or Dublin countries is responsible for deciding your asylum application.