The European Union Imposes New Measures On The “Schengen” Visa

The Embassy of the European Union Delegation in Algeria published a post on its social media platform “Facebook” about the mandatory submission of visa applications to enter the European “Schengen” area at the consulate of the country that is the destination of the trip. This post caused many questions about its background and objectives.

The post, addressed to visa applicants for the “Schengen” area, stated: “You must submit your Schengen visa application to the consulate of the Member State that is the sole or main destination of your trip or trips for multiple entry visa applications.” The EU Embassy did not provide additional details about the new procedure, which further intensified the questions.

The content of the post contradicts what was previously common regarding visa applications to visit the “Schengen” area, where it was previously possible for a visa applicant to obtain it from any European country, but this country, the visa issuer, would not necessarily be their sole destination when traveling. They might land in another Member State of the “Schengen” area that did not grant the visa.

However, the generalized post by the EU delegation in Algeria last weekend presented new procedures and placed them under the category of obligation, using the phrase “You must submit your Schengen visa application to the consulate of the Member State that is the sole or main destination of your trip.” This means that, since the generalization of this post, a visa applicant who obtained a visa from the consulate of a certain European country can no longer land in another European country within the “Schengen” area that was not the source of the visa they hold.

According to a source following the procedure, this concerns new measures approved by the European Union as part of its efforts to control the problem of illegal immigration. It focuses particularly on monitoring the entry, exit, and duration of stay on European territory for individuals visiting EU Member States, providing all 27 EU member countries with all information related to non-EU individuals.

According to a document reviewed by “Echourouk,” this concerns the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which are automated computer systems for recording and monitoring the personal data of citizens from non-EU countries who cross the external borders of the “Schengen” area.

These European initiatives are part of a set of measures aimed at improving the management of the external borders of the Member States in the “Schengen” area. These future automated systems aim to improve the efficiency and reliability of inspections at the external borders of the “Schengen” area by enabling Member States and relevant EU agencies to ensure better information exchange to combat cross-border crime and terrorism and enable more effective border management, while strictly complying with fundamental rights and European legislation on personal data protection.

According to the same document, the new measures aim to replace manual passport stamping with an electronic system, a procedure that would allow electronic control of entry and exit operations, refusal of entry, and the duration of stay for non-EU citizens who cross the external borders of the “Schengen” area for a short stay, with a maximum of 90 days out of a total period of 180 days.

The new procedure focuses on collecting the traveler’s personal data and some other information, such as the date and time of entry and exit, the place of entry and exit, the citizen’s first and last name, the citizen’s passport number, the person’s (traveler’s) photo, their fingerprints, and the potential decision to refuse entry for a short stay.