Visa-free Travel for Turkish Nationals:

Readmission and beyondIstanbul, 28 May 2014

Two Turkish fears:• Readmission: Turkey will become “a dumping

ground” for irregular migrants from the EU

• „EU member states will never agree to give us visa-free travel“

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EU-Turkey Readmission Agreement

• Upon entry into force: return of Turkish citizens found illegally residing in EU member states

• 3 years after entry into force: return of irregular third-country nationals if the EU MS has evidence that they came via Turkey

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Illegal border crossings Turkey - Greece

2008: 45,0002009: 36,0002010: 52,0002011: 56,0002012: 34,000

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Illegal border crossings Turkey - Greece

2008: 44,5002009: 36,5002010: 52,0002011: 56,0002012: 34,0002013: 12,500 (land: 1,100; sea: 11,400)

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The Greek-Turkish border

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The issue of evidence• Turkish visa or residence permit• Entry or departure stamps in the passport• Hotel bills, car rental agreements, credit card

receipts, use of travel agencies• Tickets with the person’s name• Official statements by border guards and other

witnesses• Official statement by the person• Prima facie evidence (contestable)

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The issue of willingnessMost EU member states do not want to return irregular migrants to countries they have crossed on their way to the EU

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UkraineReadmission agreement with the EU in

effect since 1 Jan. 2008, 2-year transitional period for TCN clause

(return of third-country nationals)

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2010: 398 TCN returned2011: 243 TCN2012: 108 TCN

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Western BalkansReadmission agreements with the EU in

effect since 1 Jan. 2008

No more than 20 TCNrequests per year

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Readmission: no „tsunami“

„The EU member states (Cyprus) will never allow it“

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EU decision-making process

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European Commission European Parliament Council of the EU

European Commission

• Technical assessments – “strict but fair”• Assistance• Legislative proposal

European Parliament

• LIBE committee / rapporteur• AFET committee• Political groups

Council:qualified majority

Needed: 234 out of 316 votesFrance, Germany, Italy, (UK): 29Poland, Spain: 27Romania: 14Netherlands: 13Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Portugal: 12Austria, Bulgaria, Sweden: 10Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Slovakia, (Ireland): 7Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovenia: 4Malta: 3

How to get to 234?Turkey secures the support of big or influential member states: Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and Sweden;

It charms a large number of smaller member states: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia;

It convinces Germany.

The votes of Austria, Cyprus, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are NOT needed.

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What next?

For Turkey:

- Ratification of the readmission agreement

- Implementation of the roadmap conditions

- Civil society must become active

- Lobbying to secure 234 out of 316 votes in the Council

Visa-free travel:

Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia: 19 December 2009

Albania and Bosnia 15 December 2010

Moldova:28 April 2014

Turkey: 2015?

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