The European Union has commenced its “dialogue” with Armenia on enabling visa-free travel by Armenian citizens to the EU, Eurasianet writes.
The announcement comes amid reports of growing difficulties at present for Armenians in obtaining visas and gaining entry to Schengen Area countries. The negotiations are widely expected to take years to complete, and will require Armenia to implement far-reaching, liberalizing reforms to satisfy EU criteria. Ultimately, any visa liberalization deal will require approval from the EU Council and the European Parliament. In recent years, since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, EU consular sections have been overwhelmed by the swell of visa applications submitted by Armenians, resulting a rising backlog and lengthening delays in issuing travel documents.
Even after obtaining a Schengen visa, some Armenians report experiencing difficulties upon arrival in gaining entry to the country for which they have a visa. Bulgaria, which recently joined the Schengen Zone, has been singled out for its toughness on admitting Armenians. In recent months, several Armenian citizens who attempted to enter Bulgaria with valid visas have been denied entry. Reports suggest that Bulgarian border authorities have subjected a significant number of Armenian travelers to lengthy and invasive questioning, prompting complaints that visa rules are being arbitrarily applied. EU officials indicate that some Armenian citizens are abusing visa regimes by altering their travel plans in an unauthorized manner, effectively obtaining visas under misleading pretenses. Part of the problem stems from the fact that some Armenians obtain single-entry visas for one country but then cross borders into other Schengen nations. This issue stands to complicate the visa-liberalization dialogue amid concerns in many EU member states about immigration and border security. Meanwhile, ethnic Armenians from Artsakh are facing major obstacles when trying to obtain visas for EU countries, as their passports – bearing the code “070” – are often rejected by consular authorities. These passports are categorized as travel documents rather than certificates of Armenian citizenship and are deemed insufficient for obtaining an EU visa.
