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Giambrone Reviews EU Proposal to Introduce Visa-free travel for Turks
Next Wednesday, the European Union executive will propose a relaxing visa requirements for Turkish citizens, as the Turkish government threatened to walk away from a migration agreement, in case the EU did not ease travel rules for Turkish citizens.
The 28-nation EU heavily relies on Ankara's cooperation to maintain an agreement signed in March, which had a significant impact in stemming the flow of refugees and migrants arriving from Turkey. Reportedly, a million people reached Italy and Greece in 2015.
New and less strict visa rules for Turkey, a Muslim country of 79 million people, is widely being debated among EU states.
Brussels deems it crucial to keep the migration accord in place, as Europe fails to cope with the worst migration crisis since World War Two.
A meeting between the EU's executive European Commission held on Wednesday will propose easing the visa requirements for Turks.
However, it is rumoured that a preliminary meeting on Monday favoured the easing of visa requirements before the EU Commission discusses the matter on Wednesday.
72 requirements must be fulfilled by Turkey in order to win visa liberalisation. According to an EU official Ankara had, as of April 21st, satisfied less than half of them.
Turkey has since met many more of them. However, it will impossible to meet them all by Wednesday.
The swift changes adopted by Turkish government has convinced Brussels provide more lenient travel rules. Such rules would, however, still not allow Turkish people to work or stay in the EU longer than three months.
Elze Obrikyte, Immigration lawyer at Giambrone, commented: "Brussels is finally understanding the importance of allowing Turkish people travel freely within European borders, as provided for every European citizens. Turkey has remarkably produced significant efforts in order to meet required criteria and is therefore on the right path towards a favourable ruling of the European Commission "
For more information about our immigration department, contact Giambrone on +44 (0)207 183 9482 or email us at: clientservices@giambronelaw.com.