The European Union has tightened its rules, making it much easier for member countries to suspend visa-free travel to the Schengen Area for citizens from 61 non-EU countries — including Canada.
The change was driven by rising concerns over abuse of access, irregular migration and strained relations with partner governments.
EU officials grew worried over the past year about issues like spikes in illegal stays, increasing unfounded asylum claims, golden passport (citizenship-by-investment) schemes, and human rights abuses by countries with visa-free access.
These developments were seen as a threat to EU security and the integrity of the Schengen zone, prompting calls for quicker and stronger action when abuses or risks emerge.
On 17NOV, the Council of the European Union formally approved reforms, following an October vote in the European Parliament. The changes take effect in early December and will be directly binding for all member states.
Key changes include:
- The threshold to trigger a suspension drops from a 50% rise in problem indicators (refused entries, overstays, asylum claims) to just 30% so EU governments can act more quickly.
- The initial suspension period increases to 12 months from nine, while there is now potential for a 24-month extension instead of the former 18-month limit.
- The EU can now target restrictions more precisely, focusing on groups like government officials or diplomats instead of automatically applying new visa requirements to all travellers from a country during extended suspensions.
Airlines, travel companies and border authorities can expect swifter and more flexible responses if countries — especially those running dubious passport programs or failing to cooperate with EU standards — abuse their visa-free privileges.
The new regulation aims to safeguard entry standards and EU security while minimizing disruption for tourists and business travellers.
These stronger measures were drafted and negotiated by the European Commission and EU Council, and given parliamentary approval in October. Final authorization came from the Council of the European Union, which represents all member states and serves as the EU’s main decision-making body on such policy changes.
