The European Parliament has passed new legislation making it easier to suspend visa-free travel for nationals of third countries found to violate human rights or ignore international court rulings.
The reform aims to strengthen the current visa suspension mechanism, which covers 61 countries whose citizens can enter the Schengen Area visa-free for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. Under the revised rules, the European Commission will have broader powers to reintroduce visa requirements for countries that pose security risks or fail to comply with key international obligations.
For the first time, breaches of the UN Charter, international human rights or humanitarian law, and non-compliance with international court rulings can trigger the reinstatement of visa requirements. The updated mechanism also addresses hybrid threats, including the misuse of migrants and so-called “golden passport” investor schemes, which may raise security concerns.
The law further allows the EU to impose targeted visa restrictions on government officials deemed responsible for serious violations, including human rights abuses.
Currently, according to Annex II of the EU Visa Regulation, Israel is among the countries whose citizens enjoy visa-free travel.
However, the situation in Gaza has escalated dramatically. Since October 2023, Israeli military operations have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The bombardment has left the enclave virtually uninhabitable, with widespread starvation and disease.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
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German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Friday suggested a potential link between recent drone incidents in Belgium and discussions surrounding the use of frozen Russian assets, held by Belgian financial institution Euroclear, to fund a substantial loan to Ukraine.
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The United States has expressed full support for the European Union's proposal to use frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine and bring an end to the war with Russia, a U.S. source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.
The European Commission has tightened Schengen visa rules for Russian citizens, limiting most new applicants to single-entry permits, citing security risks linked to the war in Ukraine.
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