EU Parliament Revokes Visa-Free Travel for Vanuatu

Name: EU Parliament Revokes Visa-Free Travel for Vanuatu | IaM (Immigration and
Uploaded: 2024-11-30T16:00:00+00:00
Description: The European Parliament has voted to permanently revoke visa-free access to the Schengen Area for Vanuatu

Charlie Immigration updates 30 November 2024 | Updated On December 2, 2024 | 0

The European Parliament has voted to permanently revoke visa-free access to the Schengen Area for Vanuatu passport holders.

The decision, supported by 62 votes, with one against and two abstentions, follows concerns about Vanuatu’s investor citizenship program and its associated security risks.

Since May 2022, the EU has temporarily suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu due to insufficient measures to address irregular migration and the potential misuse of its citizenship-by-investment (CBI) scheme.

This program allows foreign nationals to obtain Vanuatu citizenship, and thus Schengen visa-free access, without residency requirements or adequate background checks.

Rapporteur Paulo Cunha emphasised that this is the first time the EU has removed a country from its visa-free list, citing Vanuatu’s expedited citizenship process and its risk to EU border security.

The European Council must now grant final approval for the measure to take effect. Given its previous support for temporary suspensions, the Council is expected to endorse the permanent ban.

Once approved, all Vanuatu citizens, including those who acquired citizenship through investment, will now need a Schengen visa to enter the EU.

The decision is expected to create significant challenges for affected individuals, from securing visa appointments to awaiting application outcomes.

Security Risks

Since May 2022, the European Commission has been working with Vanuatu authorities to address concerns about the country's investor citizenship programs, which the EU perceives pose serious security threats.

These threats include organised crime, money laundering, tax evasion, and corruption.

While Vanuatu has made certain legal amendments to address these concerns, the Commission determined that the revisions were insufficient to reduce the risks connected with its citizenship-by-investment (CBI) schemes.

The EU has visa waiver agreements with 64 nations, allowing for short, visa-free travel to the Schengen Area. However, it has increasingly faced problems from irregular migration and security issues associated with visa-free travel, particularly those posed by investor citizenship schemes.

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