Croatia has no problems with the automated entry and exit system at border crossings because it has prepared well and considers it very useful, Croatian Interior Minister Davor Božinović said on Monday.
Nine European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland) have asked the European Commission to extend the possibility of suspending the system beyond September 6 in cases where there are large crowds at the borders.
In the regulation on the entry and exit system (EES), which began to be applied in April, there is a possibility of partial suspension of biometric checks (taking fingerprints and taking photos) in case of excessive crowding. This provision is scheduled to expire on September 6, after the end of the main tourist season.
“We are one of the countries that first introduced the new system because we prepared for a long time and considered different scenarios that could happen on our borders,” said Božinović, who met with European Commissioner for Internal Affairs Magnus Brunner in Brussels.
‘It is a direct contribution to the security of European citizens’
He pointed out that there are no major difficulties in applying the system at the Croatian borders, thanks to the good preparation and engagement of police officers.
“This is a huge step forward, although in some countries there are certain difficulties at the beginning of implementation, but not in Croatia,” said Božinović.
He added that so far 110 million travelers have been registered at the EU level, and more than 50,000 have been denied entry due to security reasons. In Croatia, that number is more than five thousand, which is 11 percent at the EU level.
“It is a direct contribution to the security of European citizens because these people represent a security risk for various reasons,” says Božinović.
He said that Croatia is also ready for ETIAS, the European system for prior approval of travel to the Schengen area, similar to the American ESTA system.
Travelers who can enter the EU without visas, including citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will have to fill out an online form and pay 20 euros before traveling. Once issued, the permit will be valid for three years. Implementation of ETIAS was scheduled to begin this fall, however, this is expected to be delayed until early next year.
Božinović argued for the EU to use visa policy more to prevent illegal migration. He says that a large number of illegal migrants arrive on commercial flights to neighboring countries, and then turn from tourists into illegal migrants, he writes N1 BiH.
“It is precisely this possibility that they can enter those countries without visas that creates pressure on European borders, in this case Croatia, which we do not want,” said Božinović.
