New Schengen states report sharp drop in visa applicants from Belarus

The countries that joined the Schengen zone in late 2007 have reported a considerable drop in the number of visas granted to Belarusian citizens since, Olga Wasilewska, a coordinator of a project on the monitoring of EU visa policies, said at a conference in Minsk on June 22.

In 2008, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania reported a decrease in visas issued to Belarusians of 73, 52 and 34 percent, respectively, compared with the previous year, she said.

The expert noted that the decrease was the result of fewer applications rather than more visa denials.

All of the countries but Lithuania introduced a longer visa wait time in 2008. In particular, she said, the Czech Republic and Poland increased the visa processing time from 14 to 19 and two to eight days, respectively.

One in three applicants for a Czech visa needs to visit the embassy more than two times, according to Ms. Wasilewska.

She said that the old members of the Schengen zone, in particular France and the United Kingdom, had improved the quality of visa services between 2005 and 2008.

Katsyaryna Hlod, deputy director of the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Research, said that the EU could simplify visa rules for Belarusians as a result of the country’s involvement in the Eastern Partnership program.

In particular, Belarus and the EU could sign an agreement on easier visa rules. In addition, the 27-nation bloc could cut visa fees for Belarusian citizens or abolish the visa requirement altogether, according to Ms. Hlod. However, she added, “the most recent conversations with European officials” are evidence that the latter is a “very distant prospect.”

The expert predicted that the EU would likely use the subject of visas as a political tool “to win concessions from Belarus in certain spheres.” //BelaPAN