EU Seeks to Liberalise Visa Requirements for Non-EU Nationals

The European Union is erring in its current moves to make it even easier for non-EU nationals to enter Europe, Andrew Brons MEP has warned.

Speaking today in a debate at the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee meeting at the European Parliament, Mr Brons pointed out the many flaws in the new proposals, which, he said, would only encourage illegal immigration.

“By withdrawing the need for visas, you start with the presumption that there will be no increase in illegal migration,” Mr Brons said.

“The suspension mechanism (in which a country’s citizens would be required to have visa again) would only suspend the right of entry without a visa after a significant increase in illegal immigration.

“Furthermore, we have been told this morning that even after a specified increase had taken place, the suspension mechanism would not automatically come into operation,” he continued.

Mr Brons pointed out that if a “country has a significantly lower per capita income,  higher unemployment, a poorer standard of social services and infra structure, then illegal migration would be inevitable from any country from which the citizens did not require a visa.

“Visas do not prevent people from visiting Europe or any particular country for legitimate purposes, such as for study or tourism.

“They enable a distinction to be made between legitimate and illegitimate visitors. They provide a record of people arriving and departing,” he said.

“The answer is rationalising and speeding up the visa system and not to withdraw the need for visas from citizens of countries, who self-evidently have a motivation to migrate illegally.”

The EU proposals also contain a reciprocity principle, under which countries that granted visa-free status would be expected to grant the citizens of member states visa-free status. Mr Brons described this as a “red herring” and an “irrelevance.

“The right of citizens of EU states to travel to poor countries without a visa, would entail no danger of illegal overstaying, whereas there would be such a danger if the citizens of poorer countries were allowed into EU countries without a visa.”