EU member states have agreed to temporarily restrict some visa arrangements for Somali nationals after concluding that Somalia is not cooperating sufficiently on taking back its citizens staying irregularly in the bloc.
The decision follows an assessment by the European Commission that found Somalia’s cooperation on “readmission” — the process of a country accepting the return of its nationals — was insufficient, the Council of the EU announced on Thursday.
Under the measures, member states will no longer be able to issue multiple-entry visas to Somali nationals.
They will also stop waiving certain requirements on the evidence that Somali visa applicants must submit.
In addition, visa fees will no longer be waived for holders of Somali diplomatic and service passports.
Applicants will face longer waits, with the standard processing period for short-stay visa applications set at 45 calendar days rather than 15.
Temporary measures with no end date
The Council said the restrictions are temporary but do not include a specific end date.
The European Commission will continue to assess any progress Somalia makes on readmission cooperation.
The Council emphasised that the step is based on EU visa rules under which the Commission regularly evaluates how non-EU countries cooperate on readmission, and the EU can suspend parts of its short-stay visa rules when cooperation is deemed insufficient.
