EU Issues Schengen Warning to Turkey

The European Parliament, which called for "capacity increase" for Turkish citizens applying for Schengen visas, stated that the number of Turkish citizens entering the Schengen Area and not exiting is "not insignificant."

According to the latest statistics published by the EU last year, there were 1,055,885 Schengen visa applications from Turkey in 2023. Of these, 867,646 were approved — 612,841 of them being multiple-entry — representing 83.9% of the total. The rejection rate stood at 16.1%.

Although Turkey continues bilateral contacts with EU member states to overcome the visa issue, the positive impact of these efforts has yet to be felt on the ground. The EP also addressed this problem in its Turkey Report, which is based on the European Commission’s annual country report.

The report stated that Turkish citizens are facing problems with Schengen applications due to "a marked increase in demand and fears of abuse of the system," and expressed "regret" over the situation.

In 2023, 103,000 Turkish nationals who legally entered the Schengen Area with a visa were identified as having applied for asylum afterward. Statements claiming that 16% of Schengen visa applications from Turkey were rejected are not found convincing, and there is a widespread belief that the actual rate is significantly higher.

Source: Euronews Türkçe