Serbia toughens visa rules as migration prompts EU pressure

Serbia is seeing a sudden tourism boom from countries whose citizens never had its sightseeing and shopping opportunities on their radar. That’s largely due to the Balkan country’s generous entry rules, which made it a key stop for migrants seeking to reach Europe without risking a perilous sea crossing.
A recent flight from Turkey to Belgrade — one of half a dozen scheduled daily — was packed with people from African and Asian nations who don’t need a visa to enter the European country.
But this is changing as Serbia faces pressure from the European Union, which it wants to join, to introduce visas for countries that have become a source of migration toward the 27-nation bloc.
EU officials say thousands of travelers who entered Serbia and other Western Balkan nations as tourists in recent months ended up seeking asylum in EU member countries.