Towards an EU Humanitarian Visa Scheme?

With large numbers of protection seekers continuing to risk hazardous sea crossings to reach the European Union, there has been considerable focus on the need for legal entry channels, notably resettlement. Humanitarian visas represent one such legal channel.

This briefing provides a succinct overview of what humanitarian visas are, the rationale for their use, how they function, how they are regulated in EU law and the scope for future development of a fully-fledged EU humanitarian visa scheme.

Further information

The European Parliament was expected to vote in November 2018 on a legislative own-initiative report calling on the European Commission to present a separate legislative act establishing a humanitarian visa.

ESO: Background information: MEPs want EU embassies and consulates to grant asylum seekers humanitarian visas http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-meps-want-eu-embassies-and-consulates-to-grant-asylum-seekers-humanitarian-visas/

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

EP: EPRS: Plenary at a Glance, November 2018: Humanitarian visas http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2018/628308/EPRS_ATA(2018)628308_EN.pdf

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