Kosovo Joins the European Schengen Area

Hundreds of Kosovo citizens rushed to Pristina Airport to travel to European Union countries on Monday following the cancellation of visa requirements for the open-border Schengen Area in Europe. Kosovo was the only country in the Western Balkans whose citizens still needed visas to travel to the EU, with many member states being part of the program. Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated during a welcome for travelers at the airport, "We waited a long time; this injustice persisted for too long, but we have finally succeeded." The Schengen Area allows over 400 million people to travel freely between member countries without border checks. It is worth noting that Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 but is still struggling to become a member state of the United Nations due to objections from Serbia, Russia, and China.