“I need a visa for a visa” isn’t just wordplay. For many Kosovars, it is a reality. Yes, sometimes they do need a visa for a visa to travel to the EU. 

K2.0 recently published the article “We Are in a Real Ghetto,” an investigation into the expensive, exhausting and demoralizing process Kosovars have to go through to apply for a visa to enter the EU. 

In our article, we collected many examples of how this visa regime has been capitalized on by the private companies that now handle the visa applications for most EU countries. The article also highlights how both embassies and their outsourced visa processors frequently violate the EU Visa Code. But, unfortunately, we know there are more stories, more experiences and more anecdotes from this arduous process. This is why we are gathering at HUB 2.0 at 17:30 on February 23 to share these experiences.

Since 2010, all Balkan countries have been free from visa regimes, except Kosovo. The EU has fallen short of its promise to deliver visa-free movement. Kosovars are some of the last Europeans to be isolated.  

Kosovars haven’t been listened to in a long time. That’s why we want to talk with you about how this isolation has affected your life. Have you been deprived of a chance to study in the EU? A chance to see your family members for New Year’s? Have you been denied your chance to travel freely?  We are afraid the answer may be yes. Come, and let’s talk about it.

We are based in Prishtina, so you won’t need a visa to join. 

To help the conversation get going, we will be joined by:

• Aulonë Kadriu, editor at K2.0 and author of “We Are in a Real Ghetto”, a story with additional reporting and writing from Vjosa Musliu.
• Eraldin Fazliu, editor and author of “Interaktiv” at Kohavision, KTV.
• Bekim Baliqi, Professor at the Department of Political Science in the University of Prishtina 

The discussion will be moderated by K2.0’s editor-in-chief, Besa Luci.

Translation into English and Serbian will be available. This event will be recorded. 

This event is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy.