2010-11-24T00:14:23Z https://mobile.taurillon.org/What-s-in-for-Albania#comment8793 2010-11-24T00:14:23Z

<p>I don't deny that we may have lost tourism from some countries exactly as you say, but that's why I flagged up our historical links. Europe is 27 countries, which can all enter the UK without hindrance. The Commonwealth is more than double this, and so does represent a substantial proportion of the planet to have a special relationship with ! Would the Schengen countries open up their borders to the countries we have special relationships with ?</p> <p>The UK has around 80 nationalities which have the right to vote- that's very different to say Latvia which doesn't even let non-citizens who've lived there all their lives, and sometimes for generations, vote.</p> <p>You also have to bear in mind that our health service is different from other countries. It's free for natives, which does make health tourism a real problem. That's part of why our country keeps its own borders. But we don't want ID cards, and we don't want to change it so that you have to pay when you visit accident and emergency.</p> <p>So you see a visa is just part of a complex picture.</p> <p>As to second class citizens- you are only second class if you choose to be. The UK has no Euro, no Schengen, a land border only with Ireland, incredibly poor language skills, but it does not make us second class.</p> <p>And I have had fun getting visas in the past, having had them refused etc.</p>

2010-11-20T13:13:08Z https://mobile.taurillon.org/What-s-in-for-Albania#comment8780 2010-11-20T13:13:08Z

<p>Well the people that you saw that had already a visa won't be affected it is true. However, not everyone can pay a 70 euro visa considering that a round trip flight from Albania to the EU is around 300 euros. That is already one third of the costs.</p> <p>This is also a symbolic thing. Finally this invisible wall will be brought down, I don't imagine you have ever needed to obtain a visa in a Balkan country, I can assure you the experience is not fun. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the end from this subdivision between EU citizens and other Europeans who are in fact considered simply as second class citizens. Unfortunately the UK still keeps their rather ignorant policy of being outside schengen and therefore for those that will need to go to the UK the process remains as difficult as ever. Which ironically is bad for the UK, because most tourists, especially the chinese, get a schengen visa and don't bother with a UK one because there is simply no sense. Why waste more money and time when you can already visit so many places around Europe already. This in turn creates huges losses in tourism for the UK. Visa liberalization is also beneficial to EU states to get more flux of money coming from people seeking tourism, medical care, etc etc..</p>