The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved a resolution calling for European states to avoid abusing the Schengen Information System (SIS) after a report presented by a Turkish lawmaker.
Turks complain of lengthy delays in the approval of their visas for entry to European Union countries. Turkish authorities have branded it as a politically motivated move. Some countries say the delays stem from a backlog of applications in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought international travel to a halt. Nikolas Meyer-Landrut, head of the EU delegation to Türkiye, told Reuters in August that the Schengen applications are treated on their merits and not on political grounds, adding relatively more incomplete and potentially fraudulent applications are seen from Türkiye.
On Tuesday, PACE said states should not “misuse” SIS by making unjustified alerts, including on politically motivated grounds.
PACE’s resolution said that although it was the right of states to decide who to allow into the country, they should also respect the rights of third-country nationals trying to enter the Schengen area, “in line with the European Convention on Human Rights.” PACE proposed additional measures to make the system fairer, including the introduction of solutions for anyone considering they have been erroneously subject to an SIS alert and more transparency in SIS data.
Ziya Altunyaldız, a lawmaker from Türkiye’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and a member of the PACE Turkish delegation recently submitted a report to PACE. The report said the rate of denial for Turks applying for Schengen visas rose to 12.7% in 2020, from only 4% in 2014. The report claims that Schengen zone countries effectively deny access to individuals and that the Schengen information system should have common, minimum standards. “Use of data in the system should not violate human rights, privacy and freedom of travel,” it said. The report cited the challenges experienced, especially by businesspeople, “who face problems although they prove the accuracy of the purpose of their trips, the place of accommodation and their means of transportation.” It called for the prevention of private information being used against individuals applying for visas "based on political motives" and to end practices that stop individuals from attending cultural, social and scientific activities.
Quoted by Turkish media outlets after the approval of the resolution, Altunyaldız said their report was the result of meticulous work and would ensure the Schengen visa process was “more transparent, more fairer and more inclusive.” “We have a firm belief that the process will be improved based on our suggestions, which are reforming,” he said.
