The European Union (EU) is introducing the Entry/Exit System (EES) from Sunday (October 12), a digital tool that will replace passport stamps with biometric data - fingerprints and facial photographs. The aim of the system, Brussels says, is to control borders more efficiently, combat illegal migration and monitor the stay of foreigners in the Schengen area.
The EES applies to all third-country nationals staying in the EU for up to 90 days, including citizens of the Western Balkans. At the first crossing, their biometric data will be taken, and then they will be checked against a database.
Croatia ready to activate the EES
The system will be gradually introduced until April 2026. Larger member states, such as Germany and France, will initially operate with a reduced number of checks to avoid congestion, while smaller countries, such as Estonia and Luxembourg, will immediately implement the full version of the system.
Digital kiosks and biometric cameras have already been installed at Croatian border crossings, and according to information from N1 television, the introduction of the system will be gradual. Starting Sunday, the EES will be used four hours a day, eight in November, 12 in December, and from April next year, the system will operate 24 hours a day at all crossings, including airports and ports.
The EES is, according to European officials, a digital system that will strengthen security and prevent visa abuse. However, some analysts warn that the system also has political and social consequences - especially for countries still awaiting EU membership.
"Control instead of trust"
Psychologist and political analyst from Sarajevo Ibrahim Prohić believes that the introduction of the EES should not be viewed in isolation, but in the context of global trends and "increasingly widespread control and restriction of freedoms."
"Every regulation must be contextualized," says Prohić: "At the strategic level, we have been witnessing the strengthening of the right and populists for years, who are actually building mechanisms to control citizens through security policy. This leads to the absolutization of surveillance and the narrowing of freedoms."
According to him, the new border rules are just one tool in that process. "The ideological goal of such an approach is to get people used to being constantly monitored. When you live in fear, it's easier to control you. You lose self-confidence, you lower your aspirations, you're satisfied with less," says Prohić.
The "Mental" Berlin Wall
He reminds us that through various policies - from digital surveillance to the control of financial flows - new forms of dependence and subordination are being created. "The new border system fits into the same logic: complete visibility, but also complete vulnerability of citizens."
Prohić also warns about the symbolic dimension of introducing the EES for countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH): "The first implicit message is that the citizens of this region are second-class citizens. Colloquially speaking - they should take off their shoes when entering the EU. The data they will provide about themselves 'voluntarily', if they want to enter that 'empire', can be misused, and that is also an attack on privacy."
In an analysis for DW, Prohić emphasizes that the new system is not just a technical security issue, but also a psychological border that reinforces existing inequalities. "This is a kind of mental Berlin Wall. Discrimination has become more sophisticated, but essentially remains the same - it limits access, trust and dignity of those who are 'outside'."
Citizens' reactions: between understanding and resistance
DR (Mostar) believes that there will be crowds at the borders at first, but that the new system could reduce waiting times in the long run: "This will certainly make it easier for people who travel to Croatia every day for work, for example on the Trebinje-Dubrovnik route. In this way, the EU protects its external borders and tries to control entry. I do not see this as a message to us, because we are neither working on the EU path, nor is the EU rushing to accept us."
DD (East Sarajevo) thinks differently, fearing that the EES will create new barriers: "This is an additional administrative obstacle that will worsen the movement of people and goods. It is as if we are being told that we are not wanted. It is clear that security measures are necessary, but Europe should look for ways to connect, not deepen divisions."
MM (Sarajevo) has a similar tone, emphasizing the symbolic weight of the new procedures: "The EES has a strong message - that we are not part of that club. The EU is closing in more and more, and additional controls and procedures only emphasize that border. This can also slow down business, especially for companies from the region that are already operating in difficult conditions."
Technology, security and trust
However, some citizens also see the EU as an incentive for domestic reforms. MD (Sarajevo) believes that the new procedures should not be interpreted as a message of exclusion: "I don't think the EU is telling us that we are not welcome. It is more of a reminder that we have to work on rapprochement ourselves. If we want to be part of the Union, we need to elect people in the elections who will actually implement reforms."
The EES, along with the planned ETIAS electronic travel authorization system that comes into force next year, is part of a broader strategy to digitize Europe's borders. Non-EU citizens will then have to fill out an online form, pay a 20 euro fee and wait for an electronic permit to enter the Schengen area.
The European Commission claims that these are "non-invasive" measures that increase security and speed up border crossings. However, critics point out that the digitalization of borders does not solve the core political problems - mistrust and inequality.
Ultimately, as DW's interviewees in BiH claim, the EES represents much more than a technical solution. It also raises questions about the boundaries between security and freedom, between trust and control.
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