Balkans nations vow to fight illegal migration

(TIRANA) - Western Balkans countries will step up efforts to prevent their citizens frommaking unfounded asylum requests and abusing visa-free entry to the European Union, officials said Monday.

"We shall launch and pursue effective investigation of facilitators of irregular migration and prosecute those who enable the misuse of the visa-free regime in close cooperation with the law enforcement authorities of the EU member states, as well as Europol," said a joint declaration adopted by Western Balkans justice and home ministers at a meeting in Albania.

Several EU members states including Belgium, France, Germany and Sweden have called on the European Commission to let them reintroduce border controls after several Western Balkan states were given visa-free status in 2010 under the EU's Schengen agreement.

Western European officials say migrants are abusing the system to seek asylum, creating a backlog of applications.

The number of asylum requests has increased 73 percent this year, according to Cecilia Malmstrom, European commissioner for internal affairs.

"Western Balkan countries need to prove that with this freedom they bear responsibility," Malmstrom told reporters after the meeting.

She said the "process for the suspension clause on visa liberalisation may be accelerated."

The European Commission and European Parliament are currently negotiating a safeguard clause which could allow a member state to seek a temporary suspension of visa-free arrangements.