The Serbian government estimated on May 5 that the visa-free regime for traveling from Serbia to the EU was not in jeopardy, the state secretary of the Justice Ministry, Slobodan Homen, announced.

Speaking at a news conference after the government's session, Homen stressed that "the increase in the number of illegal asylum seekers from the entire region, including Serbia, should be monitored with great caution."

"The Serbian government has considered a number of short-term and long-term measures which are to lead to a reduction of illegal asylum seekers, and we expect to demonstrate that Serbia is leading in the region in the implementation of measures to make the number of illegal asylum seekers in Serbia among the lowest," Homen said.

He said that, in its message to Serbia, Belgium indicated that the number of illegal asylum seekers is increasing, that measures have to be taken, but that it has not suspended the visa-free travel regime.

"We believe that the findings of the European Commission will show that the number of asylum seekers from Serbia is now being reduced, and we will take a series of short- and long-term measures," Homen said.

He stated that the short-term measures included penalties against the travel agencies which enable the asylum seekers' departure to other countries and, in the long term, financial support to ethnic groups which will help them integrate into the domestic society.