The European Commission (EC) has proposed a mechanism that would fasttrack the suspension of the visa-free regime in case the number of illegal immigrants or fake asylum seekers from a country grows more than 50 percent in a six-month period.

Visas could also be reinstated if the number of rejected repatriation requests for illegal immigrants in the Schengen Area grows over 50 percent in a six-month period, reads the document adopted by the EC Tuesday and expected to go before the EU Council of Ministers in June.

Visa liberalization would be suspended for six months, but if the situation does not improve during that time, it could be extended by another nine months.

The safeguard clause for the temporary suspension of the visa waiver applies not only to the Western Balkans, but to all countries whose citizens can travel to the Schengen Area without visas.