Visa freedom: suspension in the event of hybrid threats and human rights violations

The European Parliament has voted on the possibility of more quickly reintroducing visa requirements for countries that pose security risks or violate human rights. The regulation currently applies to 61 countries whose citizens are allowed to enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days within 180 days. However, the EU Commission can temporarily or permanently revoke this visa-free entry if, for example, there are security risks or the number of irregular entries increases significantly. The reasons for these measures have now been expanded. New considerations include, among other things, state-controlled migration movements as a form of hybrid threats, programs for so-called “golden passports” (the granting of citizenship in exchange for cash payments or other benefits), lack of adaptation to EU visa policy, violations of the United Nations Charter, serious violations of human rights or international humanitarian law, and disregard for decisions of international courts. Attention: The voting results shown on the right only reflect the voting behavior of the 96 German MEPs and not that of all 720 MEPs. The proposal was approved overall with 518 yes votes to 96 no votes with 24 abstentions. Of the German MEPs, 61 voted for and 25 against. There was one abstention from Friedrich Pürner.

Vote breakdown