The European Commission has adopted its seventh annual report assessing how well 28 non-EU countries that require visas cooperate in taking back their nationals ordered to leave the EU, and said it is not proposing any new visa restrictions this year.
The assessment is made under Article 25a of the EU Visa Code, which allows the Commission to propose restrictive visa measures when a country’s cooperation on readmission is considered insufficient, the EU executive announced in a release on Thursday.
Readmission cooperation refers to whether a country accepts the return of its citizens when EU states issue removal orders.
The Commission has previously proposed visa-related measures for Bangladesh, Iraq, The Gambia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Somalia and Guinea.
The latest report restates the relevance of the Commission’s 2022 proposal concerning Senegal, which remains with the Council of the EU, the institution representing member states.
Earlier measures and decisions
Proposals for Iraq and Bangladesh were withdrawn in November 2025 after “substantial and sustained improvements” in cooperation, the Commission said.
Visa measures for Ethiopia were repealed in May 2026.
Restrictive visa measures for Somalia were adopted by the Council in June 2026, and for Guinea in July 2026, due to insufficient cooperation.
For The Gambia, “first stage measures” remain in place after an increased visa fee was revoked in April 2024.
The assessment report will be sent to the Council and discussed with member states, but it is not a public document.
