Faced with increasing migration flows and growing difficulties in deporting irregular migrants, the European Union (EU) is considering tightening its visa policy. The allocation of the latter could now be limited for certain countries which refuse to cooperate in the process of returning their nationals.
Immigration, already a sensitive issue in Europe, has never been more threatened than in recent years. Whether in France, Germany, Belgium or other European countries, dealing with migration flows and illegal aliens has become a real political priority. Faced with growing pressure, particularly linked to economic crises and social tensions, European governments are seeking to strengthen border controls and rationalize deportations.
In this context, the European Union is adopting a new approach to better manage the return of irregular migrants, while putting more pressure on third countries to cooperate more effectively. This strategy, which combines stricter visa rules and partnerships with countries of origin, aims to rationalize migration management while limiting current failures in the system.
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Tightening visa rules: countries targeted by the EU
During the Summit of Twenty-Seven in Brussels, the European Commission, through its President Ursula von der Leyen, presented new legislation aimed at strengthening the deportation of irregular migrants. One of the flagship measures concerns the restriction of the issuance of visas to certain countries which refuse to cooperate in the process of returning their citizens. In a letter to EU members, Ursula von der Leyen stressed the importance of introducing “clear cooperation obligations for returnees” to “effectively streamline the return process”.
In practice, the European Commission proposes the establishment of “mutual recognition of decisions taken by a specific Member State”, which makes it possible to harmonize the process of returning migrants and prevent them from exploiting loopholes in the system to escape deportation. Currently, less than 20% of deportation decisions are actually implemented.
Brussels wants to facilitate the deportation of undocumented immigrants
To encourage third countries to cooperate, Brussels is considering tightening access to visas for states that refuse to facilitate the return of their nationals. Ursula von der Leyen mentioned in particular the example of Bangladesh and Ghana, saying that “the adjustment of the visa policy has proven to be an important tool to deal with irregular movements to the EU”.
In addition to these measures, the President of the Commission wants to develop strategic partnerships with the countries of origin and transit of migrants, such as Libya or Tunisia, with which agreements have already been signed to curb departures. If these initiatives made it possible to reduce irregular arrivals via the central Mediterranean by 66%, migration routes to Spain, via the western Mediterranean and the Atlantic, registered an increase of 56% over a year. This is why the EU is considering expanding its partnerships to other countries, such as Mauritania, to try to stem these flows.
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