Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Monday that passenger control will be intensified for Serbian citizens travelling to EU countries, and added that authorities will check whether passengers have enough money, return tickets and travel insurance.

Following a meeting with a Belgian delegation headed by State Secretary for Migration and Asylum Policies Melchior Wathelet, Dacic said that the purpose of the stricter measures is not harassment of citizens but that false asylum-seekers need to be stopped from leaving for EU so as to prevent the country's visa liberalisation coming to any potential jeopardy.

The number of asylum-seekers is dropping but it is still quite high compared to the period prior to visa liberalisation and this problem needs to be solved once and for all, the minister said.

He said that one of the measures that might be implemented to this ends refers to confiscation of passports or a ban on departure from Serbia for individuals who abused the right to asylum.

Dacic said that competent bodies are also running checks with respect to tourist agencies and operators engaging in organised transport of false asylum-seekers, and added that authorities are also conducting investigations against officials from government bodies charged with taking bribes for issuance of personal documents.

The minister said that he would call on the European Commission to issue its opinion on additional measures that should also be included.

Dacic noted that the ultimate goal of the measures is to integrate all national minorities into the society and work on economic development in the regions from which asylum-seekers are coming.

Belgian Secretary Wathelet said that the number of Serbian citizens seeking asylum in EU countries is still high, although it has dropped over the past few months.

He welcomed the new measures Serbia has implemented and noted that border control would be stepped up, as well as the sanctions for tourist agencies that engage in organised activities aimed at transferring asylum-seekers to EU countries.