Franco-German call for easier suspension of visa-free travel stirs controversy

A joint attempt by France and Germany to build a so-called "emergency brake" for future visa-free travel agreements with non-EU countries such as Turkey has led to debate as the attempt has been revealed only days before the EU's executive arm is to decide on May 4 whether to recommend that member states approve the visa waiver scheme by the end of June.

According to the Schengen Agreement, "if there is a serious threat to public policy or internal security, a Schengen country may exceptionally temporarily reintroduce border control at its internal borders for, in principle, a limited period of no more than thirty days. If such controls are reintroduced, the other Schengen countries, the European Parliament and the Commission should be informed, as should the public."

Yet in a move widely considered as a maneuver to make visa liberalization for Turks, Ukrainians and Georgians more acceptable to their populations, Berlin and Paris wrote to EU partners earlier this week calling for a tougher safeguard mechanism in case of a spike of asylum requests, overstays or readmission refusals. 

"This provision is only a proposal for now. It will have to be discussed among member states. It is a safeguard for all third countries, not only for us [Turkey]. That is to say, the talk is about a mechanism that includes taking rapid measures on this issue, in case of huge numbers of people travelling to Europe and staying there or asking for political asylum there after the visa liberalization is provided," a senior Turkish diplomat told Hürriyet Daily News on April 29.

"Apparently, since Ukraine came into the picture along with us, and with things becoming serious because we are fulfilling the criteria, they are taking such a measure," the diplomat,...