92001E0621

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0621/01

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Council

(2 March 2001)

Subject: Belgian visas

The injudicious issuing of Belgian visas is a matter which needs to be looked at under the third pillar of the European Union (justice and home affairs), in particular because the temporary right of residence in the Belgian Federation automatically confers access to all Schengen countries. Such rights of residence are worth their weight in gold to criminals and they throw the immigration sector wide open to corruption.

Last year Belgium issued some 9 500 visas to Moroccan applicants. Roughly 88 % of these visas (for both short-term and long-term periods) were issued by the Aliens Service in Brussels, despite an opinion to the contrary from the consular services in Morocco. Hence, despite the fact that the applications fail to satisfy the criteria, such opinion is systematically ignored.

Some applicants have openly said that they have no intention of travelling to Belgium, but rather to one of the other Schengen countries where the issuing of visas is subject to stricter rules.

This is why the opinion of the consular services is negative, but the Aliens Service invariably replies that the visa still has to be issued to the applicant. It is feared that more and more traffickers in humans will try to enter the EUJ via Morocco.

This will render null and void action by the EU to stop lucrative routes for human trafficking.

Is the Council aware of the injudicious issuing of Belgian visas?

- If so, what action has the Council taken to induce the Belgian Federation to find a solution to this problem?

- If not, will the Council seek information about the fraud involving Belgian visas, given the importance it has for the third pillar of European Union (justice and home affairs) and the policy of the Schengen countries?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-0621/01 and E-0622/01

(30 May 2001)

The Council would inform the Honourable Member that with the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, matters relating to immigration, visas and asylum fall within the Community's sphere of competence under Title IV of the TEC. It is therefore for the Commission, as guardian of the Treaties, to verify whether Member States fulfil their obligations in respect of those matters.