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Readmission Agreements and Visa Facilitation Agreements for Turkey and Applicant
Countries
By
Hasan BLC
Merve DOANER
Sinem SONUGR
ZMR
2013
OUTLINE
I. Introduction
II. Definitions
a. Readmission Agreement
c. Circular Migration
III. Readmission Agreement and Visa Facilitation Agreement in the way of Turkey
a. Historical Background
b. Ukraines Situation
V. Conclusion
I. INTRODUCTION
international terrorism, organized crime and illegal immigration. Every year, an estimated
between 400.000 and 500.000 enter the European Union. European Union adopts security
oriented approach for combating illegal immigration the result of security oriented
approach have shown its effects in neighboring countries of European Union. European
Unions security oriented approach includes readmission agreements and visa facilitation
agreements.
In the way of Turkey, readmission agreements with Turkey have not signed yet
II. DEFINITIONS
a. Readmission Agreement
Readmission Agreements include significant component of European Unions external
migration policy. Readmission Agreement means that people who live in a country or
couple of to their countries with borders organised illegally are returned to their countries
Visa Facilitation Agreements between European Union and certain third countries on
the facilitation of the issuance of visas provide procedural facilitations for nationals of
certain third countries without altering the conditions for issuing visas. Visa Facilitation
c. Circular Migration
and host areas, typically fort he purpose of employment. Circular Migration that is
between two countries allows legal human mobility. Circular Migration is temporarly,
III. Readmission Agreement and Visa Facilitation Agreement in the way of Turkey
Controlling migration and safety issue for Europe has been an important place for
European Union memberships. And based on this concept, European Union firstly had put
the migration and asylum issues to common interest of member states with the 1992
Maastricht Treaty. And with the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty,The European Community were
authorized to states for the first time about signing readmission agreements.
Negotiations for the Readmission agreement between the European Union and Turkey
started in 2003. The first official talks met in Brussels in May 2005, after four meetings,
readmission agreement between Turkey and the EU, took place again at the bargaining
table. Both sides, not to see a possibility of Turkey's EU full membership in the near
future and due to becaming an important transit country of Turkey for irregular migration
to the EU, agreement became an important factor in agenda again. With this agreement;
visa facilitation and after visa liberalization process created a Turkey's priority in this new
era of negotiations.5
Turkey open up to readmission permition both its citizens and also third-country
nationals who residence in Turkey but the only issue to be resolved in the negotiations
were the status of third-country nationals that using Turkey as a transit route.
In December of 2009, with re-starting negotiations on a readmission agreement;
Turkey repeated that , in the signing of this agreement, visa facilitation and liberalization
5 Ibid
6 Ibid
b. Conditions of Visa Policy
Nowadays this process a Readmission Agreement will begin with sign in Ankara on
December 16. And in the statement made by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, the most
important sections of visa facilitation for interests of the citizens will be include:
-Businessmen, artists, athletes, journalists have many in and out-visas will be from 2 to 5
years.
-Retirees, people under the age of 12, non-governmental organizations managers will not pay
-If applications reject, reason will be notified in writing and will have the right to sue in case
of rejection.
-Visa will be given to people in a very short time who are previously lived in an EU country
*Reservation 1: When Readmission Agreement enters into force, third country nationals (not
Turkish citizens) who made illegal entry via Turkey to 28 EU countries will automatically
return to Turkey on the agenda. In addition, such as accommodated to these people, finding
them jobs, security problems may occur. Thus Readmission Agreement can bring financial
burden to Turkey.8
totally in 2012, 72.437 and 36.877 of it had been in the Turkey-Greece border.9
asylum claim rejected and considering the lack of data on immigrants it appears as a separate
charge on. 10
*Reservation 3: Another issue discussed EU visa facilitation to Turkey for the start of the
signing of Readmission Agreement, such as biometric passports and border security issues
must be running.
Becasue, visa exemption is a subject come up when having a progress in the accession
process. And Readmission Agreement like a cooperation agreement that, countries who are
basically not to allow EU and halt the illegal immigration towards to EU. For example:
Entering without a visa was obtained to Western Balkan countries citizens to EU from 19
December 2009 (Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia). EU had lifted visa requirements
within the scope of visa exemption to citizens of these three countries. But only for visa-free
travel. 11
*Reservation 4: In addition, illegal immigration, is the EU's problem not Turkey. And also
Turkey is trying to help to EU for this problem, not the EU to Turkey. So this provide more
9 Ulusoy, 2013
12 Ibid
IV. Readmission Agreement and Visa Facilitation with Third Countries
European Union Readmission Agreements are negotiated by the Commission on the basis of
a negotiating mandate given to it by the Council. So far, The Council has issued 18
negotiating mandates..13
The Readmission Agreements with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region was
concluded within six months in November 2001 and approved by the Council and the
Councils first such agreement, entered into force on 1 May 2004. Negotiations were
concluded with Macao after two years on 13 October 2003, Sri Lanka after three years on 25
November 2003 and Albania after two years on 18 December 2004. Five years on the
European Union and Russia concluded a readmission agreement on 12 October 2005 and
signed it on 25 May 2006. The Ukraine readmission agreement entered into force in 2008.14
A negotiation mandate was agreed for China and Algeria in 2002 and for Morocco in 2000.
Negotiations are still continuing with these countries. But Turkey will sign on 16 December
2013.15
13ReadmissionAgreements,http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_free
dom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l14562_en.htm
(03.12.2013)
15 The EU's bilateral trade and investment agreements where are we?,
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-915_en.htm (05.12.2013)
According to Commission there are some incentives; Visa Facilitation Agreement provides a
short stay visa for third country nationals, providing more financial assisstance for third
countries will offer less readmission to their coutries, embedding readmission agreement with
Readmission Agreement has provided also some facilities. The purpose of this agreement is to
facilitate, on the basis of reciprocity, the issuance of visas for an intended stay of no more than
90 days per period of 180 days to the citizens of the European Union and third countries. This
agreement provide the multiple-entry visas easier. Citizens of the third country or the member
states, holders of valid diplomatic passports may enter, leave and transit through the territories
b.Ukraines Situation
Ukraine protesters topple Lenin statue in Kiev.Ukraine protesters angry over their
governments decision to seek closer economic ties with Russia a statue of Lenin in the capital
Kiev. President Yanukovi refuse to sign the free trade agreement. The causes of the rejection:
pressure of Russia and according to Yanukovi; price one has to pay is not fair.18
Ukraine made bargain with European Union for the more financial support. They defended
trade liberalization. The import tax of European Union for Ukrainian goods should be
16 EU Readmission Agreements
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmeuleg/428-
xxi/42807.htm (05.12.2013)
18 Peter Storm, Ukraine: what's going on, and what does it mean?,
http://libcom.org/blog/ukraine-whats-going-what-does-it-mean-03122013,
03.12.2013
removed during 7 years. The import tax of Ukraine for European Unions goods should be
removed during 10 years.So, Ukrainian groos national product will grow 6% in the 10 years.19
Negotiating group composed of representatives of the European Union came to Ukraine for
solution seeking to the situation.They support the will of early elections of public and they
19 Peter Storm, Ukraine: what's going on, and what does it mean?, http://libcom.org/blog/ukraine-
whats-going-what-does-it-mean, 03.12.2013
20 Peter Storm, Ukraine: what's going on, and what does it mean?, http://libcom.org/blog/ukraine-
whats-going-what-does-it-mean, 03.12.2013
REFERENCES
Readmission Agreement covering nationals and non-nationals should be reserved for only
European Union acceding and certain advanced candidate countries. The European Union can
only justify and responsibility sharing arrangement for the return of non-nationals which
advantages for Turkey and other candidate countries such as the lowering of wages and
facilitation of the visa application process.Visa Facilitation process more effective for Turkey
but visa exemption process more effective for other countries. European Union will face is
illegal immigration issue. Turkey is a transit point with respect to illegal migration. Because
of being a transit state position, the European Union wants Turkey to carry out some
arrangements.Turkey is one of the rarest countries which could be source, transit and victim
county in terms of illegal immigration.Before the membership of Turkey, for being successful
against the illegal migration, could only be possible to slove the problem behind the border