The European Union (EU) plans this year to tighten the mechanism for suspending the visa-free regime, which would make it easier for Brussels to revoke visa-free travel for citizens of 61 countries that currently enjoy this benefit – including all Western Balkan countries aspiring to EU membership, as well as Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
Why now?
Essentially, the EU is becoming more determined when it comes to visa liberalization, which reflects a broader shift: first, in combating all forms of illegal migration into the EU; and second, in potentially using visa policy as a political tool to exert pressure on third countries.
Until now, the EU has suspended the visa-free regime only once: first temporarily, and then permanently – for the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
So, what changes can be expected? Generally speaking, Brussels plans to make the visa suspension mechanism a stronger deterrent, through four key areas.
First, visa liberalization could be suspended if it is determined that there is a mismatch between the visa policy of a third country and the overall policy of the EU.
Hybrid threats
Another reason for suspending the visa-free regime is the so-called hybrid threats. Although still largely theoretical, this provision is inspired by cases such as Russia and Belarus, which the EU accused of organizing the transport of migrants from Africa and Asia to EU borders, such as those with Poland and Lithuania.
The third reason for possible suspension concerns those countries in which citizenship is acquired through investment – that is, the possibility for individuals to purchase citizenship without any real connection to that country. In such cases, the visa-free regime with the EU could in the future be revoked.
However, the fourth basis for suspension is probably the most interesting, as it relates to the political relations of the EU with third countries. The draft law foresees that the suspension mechanism can be activated in cases of “serious human rights violations and abuses” or “serious violations of international law and standards, including human rights laws and disregard for the decisions and rulings of international courts.”
