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The European Commission (EC) presented two new strategies on Thursday that significantly tighten visa policy and the management of irregular migration in the European Union (EU).
According to the European Commission, these measures aim to enhance border security and ensure stricter control over who can enter, stay, or leave the community territory.
One of the central points is the visa strategy, which still needs to be approved by the European Council and Parliament.
The new policy states that the granting of visas will be linked to the cooperation of third countries in the return and readmission of irregular migrants, so that states that do not cooperate could face the suspension, denial, or restrictions in the issuance of visas.
According to the report from EFE, the European Commission also proposes to strengthen the security of travel documents and to use advanced digital tools to manage permits more efficiently.
Among the countries that currently enjoy visa exemption regimes are Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.
The EC has emphasized the need for stricter control of these exemptions to prevent abuses and ensure that visa-free travel is utilized in accordance with European regulations.
In this context, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, stated that the strategy aims to "restore order in Europe with stronger borders and more effective returns."
The second axis presented is the five-year plan for irregular migration, called the European Asylum and Migration Strategy.
This plan establishes a solid legal framework for managing migration, including dismantling human trafficking networks, protecting refugees and those facing persecution, and attracting talent to address labor shortages in key sectors.
According to the European Commission, the implementation of a "firm migration diplomacy" has resulted in a 55% reduction in irregular migration crossing European borders in the past two years, achieving up to a 90% reduction on specific routes such as the Western Balkans in the last three years.
Although these measures indicate a tightening of immigration policy, the European Commission clarified that this does not affect the internal regularization that a member state may undertake.
For example, the case of Spain, which recently announced the regularization of 500,000 irregular migrants, corresponds to the sovereign decisions of the country, as Brunner explained.
"They are people who are already in a member state, and the member state has the authority to decide how to respond and address the legal aspect," he clarified.
On the other hand, the European bloc acknowledges that it will experience "a lack of competitiveness and a shortage of labor that will intensify in many key sectors" over the next five years.
Therefore, the new plans aim to attract international talent by simplifying and accelerating the processes for recognizing qualifications and competencies, utilizing digitalization and artificial intelligence, and combating illegal employment and the exploitation of migrant workers.
The measures considered include the partial automation of controls prior to the departure of visa-exempt travelers, the creation of multiple-entry visas, and the study of legal norms for entrepreneurs, teachers, and students.
Together, the new strategies reflect a shift towards tighter control of migration flows, aiming to balance EU security with the attraction of talent and administrative efficiency, aligning with more restrictive migration policies seen in other regions of the world.
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