Europe to Tighten Visa Requirements for Certain Countries
The European Union plans to tighten visa-free entry rules for some visa-exempt third countries to reduce irregular migration.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson announced this move and said that the changes will be formally proposed soon.
Letters seen by Euractiv indicate that the Commission will propose tighter rules in July 2024, using a clause that allows suspending visa privileges for countries that do not cooperate in taking back their citizens.
Countries that do not cooperate in the readmission of their citizens whose asylum applications have been rejected by the EU will face suspension of their visa-free entry privileges.
Commissioner Johansson urged authorities to start negotiations on revising the visa suspension mechanisms quickly. She stated that tightening the rules will decrease irregular migration and the number of rejected asylum applications from nationals of visa-free countries.
The reform of the mechanism has been under discussion for some time, but MEPs must approve changes to the Visa Code before the rule can be tightened.
Recently, the EU proposed to permanently suspend visa-free travel for Vanuatu due to its failure to address irregular migration and security risks from its investor citizenship schemes.
In May this year, the EU Commission proposed a permanent suspension of visa-free travel for Vanuatu, following a temporary suspension in May 2022 that proved ineffective.
