Tanja Miščević, head of the government’s European Integration office, told Večernje Novosti daily that, as a consequence, “traveling to EU countries will be facilitated for a large portion of Serbian citizens”, as well as that the agreement on readmission will regulate the return of illegal immigrants to Serbia, the government said on its website.

Businesspeople, elementary, secondary school and university students, employees in the civil service are among those to enjoy the benefits of today’s agreement, Miščević said.

Participants in sports competitions, patients, journalists, NGO representatives , close family members of those legally employed in the EU, lawyers, architects, doctors, representatives of religious communities and tourists who use the services of tourism agencies with credentials in the EU countries, also stand to benefit.

Miščević explained that EU member states must first authorize the European Commission in order for the agreements to be signed, expected to take place by September. Both the Serbian and the European parliaments will then ratify the agreements.

Miščević said Serbia had no precise data on the number of its citizens currently illegally residing in the EU, and added it was the country’s constitutional obligation to take them back.