During the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, a debate was held on amending the regulation concerning the mechanism for suspending visa-free travel. PiS MEP Mariusz Kamiński took the floor during the discussion.
Mariusz Kamiński noted that the European Union has been grappling with a migration crisis for years. He stated that one of the reasons for its persistence is turning a blind eye to systemic flaws. “The issue of visa-free travel is a perfect example of this,” he noted. The PiS MEP pointed out that citizens of more than 60 third countries currently have the option of visa-free entry into the Schengen Area. “The consequences of the lack of real control over this movement are shocking,” he said, adding that the lack of effective oversight leads to serious abuses.
The MEP also noted that in recent years, hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants have entered the EU under the visa-free regime. “The European Commission bears responsibility for this, as it has had the ability since 2017 to activate the mechanism for suspending visa-free travel on its own initiative—but has never done so,” he noted.
Kamiński emphasized that the Commission’s actions run counter to the efforts of member states. “On the one hand, member states are spending billions of euros to protect the EU’s external borders, while on the other, the Commission, through its inaction and lack of responsibility, is keeping the door wide open to illegal migration,” he said.
Referring to the proposed amendments to the regulation under discussion, the MEP acknowledged that this is a step in the right direction, but “as usual, it’s too late.”
“Countries that do not cooperate on readmissions, that support the instrumentalization of migration and attacks on our border—in other words, that support an aggressor hostile to us—cannot expect the privilege of visa-free travel,” emphasized Mariusz Kamiński.
