EU Parliament makes visa-free travel suspension easier for human rights violations
Israel among countries with visa-free access, according to EU visa rules
BRUSSELS
The European Parliament approved new legislation Tuesday, making it easier to suspend visa-free travel for nationals of third countries found to be violating human rights or failing to comply with international court rulings.
The reform seeks to strengthen the EU’s visa suspension mechanism that currently covers 61 countries whose nationals can enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Under the revised rules, the European Commission will have broader powers to reintroduce visa requirements for countries posing security risks or breaching key international obligations.
For the first time, violations of the UN Charter, international human rights or humanitarian law, and failure to comply with international court decisions will be among the grounds that could lead to the reinstatement of visa requirements.
The updated mechanism also introduces new triggers such as hybrid threats, including the instrumentalization of migrants, and investor citizenship schemes, known as "golden passports," which may raise security concerns.
Existing grounds such as rising numbers of overstays, low asylum recognition rates or lack of cooperation on migrant readmission will remain in place.
To deter governments from abusing the benefits of visa-free travel, the law will also allow the EU to suspend visa exemptions specifically for government officials deemed responsible for serious violations, including human rights breaches.
The legislation, already agreed upon informally with EU member states, still requires formal approval by the Council before taking effect.
According to Annex II of the EU Visa Regulation, the list of countries whose nationals currently enjoy visa-free entry includes Israel.
Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable, with widespread starvation and the spread of disease.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
