The European Union pressed ahead Wednesday with efforts to persuade Turkey to stop asylum seekers from reaching Europe and take back thousands more by offering Turkish citizens the prospect of visa-free travel within the bloc.
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The EU-Turkey deal was signed on March 18 to tackle the mounting refugee crisis that has seen over a million people from Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere pass through European borders.
Turkey cancelled the visa regime for the citizens of all the 28 EU countries on May 3, but the visa-free travel will be possible after the EU cancels the visa regime for Turkish citizens, the Turkish Ministry for EU Affairs said earlier.
“The European Commission will bring out the progress report tomorrow, and if they come to the decision that visa liberalisation should happen then the Council and the Parliament will have time to adopt the proposal”, he told The Independent.
Turkey is the only European Union candidate country whose citizens must go through a lengthy visa process each time they want to travel to Europe for business purposes or tourism.
While the European Union is concerned that without the deal, Turkey will not control the refugee crisis in Europe, Ankara, which pushed the European Union to respect its promises, considers the visa-waiver system a big win from the deal.
The so-called Dublin rules now in force have been criticised as obsolete and unfair to countries like Greece, the main entry point for the 1.25 million migrants who have entered the bloc since a year ago.
The Commission’s recommendation is likely to be subject to heated debate in the European Parliament, which must approve the plan before it goes to heads of government in June.
The Cypriot government spokesman said Cyprus will give its approval to the visa deal only after Turkey had fulfilled the agreement in full.
Under the EU-Turkey agreement, migrants who have arrived illegally in Greece since 20 March are to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or if their claim is rejected.
The EU will also allow countries to extend border controls in the Schengen area as a result of the asylum crisis and recent terror attacks.
Germany, France, Austria, Denmark and Sweden requested the extension, saying the border situation remains “extremely volatile”.
Visa-free travel would be valid for up to 90 days.
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The European Commission said that visa requirements should be eased but Kosovo must step up its fight against organised crime and corruption and ratify a controversial border deal with Montenegro.
