On Monday, the European
Union made the announcement that it was stiffening visa requirements for
inhabitants of Ethiopia, citing the Ethiopian government's unwillingness to
assist in repatriating its citizens who were discovered to be living outside of
the 27-nation bloc.
According to EU
headquarters, the processing period for visas for citizens of Ethiopia will
increase thrice, from 15 to 45 days. EU nations will no longer be able to grant
multiple-entry visas or eliminate criteria for certain documentation. Diplomats
and officials from Ethiopia will now need to pay for their travel visas.
The EU’s executive arm,
the European Commission, has vowed to use visa rules as a way of applying
pressure on countries to cooperate in deportation procedures. Only around one
in three people ordered to depart the EU ever actually leave.
The Commission says the
action is being taken due to “a lack of response from the Ethiopian authorities
with regard to readmission requests,” as well as shortcomings with “the
organization of both voluntary and non-voluntary return operations,” which is
the way the EU describes deportation.
More individuals than
those who come on unseaworthy boats or trek overland in quest of safety,
employment, or a better life in Europe are those who enter the EU illegally
through ports or airports and never leave after their visas expire.
Ethiopia is engulfed in a humanitarian catastrophe and conflict. The
majority of the 6 million people living in the northern Tigray region were left
dependent on aid from outside sources after the two-year conflict there, which
came to an end in November 2022 with a peace agreement.
In the Horn of Africa, the nation is a major corridor for individuals
traveling from Eritrea and Somalia to Europe and other northern regions of
Africa. It is also an important location of origin and transit for refugees and
migrants.
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