EU Imposes Temporary Visa Restrictions on Somali Citizens

Overview

• The Council of the European Union decided Thursday, June 25, to activate targeted visa rules after an EU assessment found Somalia’s readmission cooperation insufficient.
• Member states must stop issuing multiple-entry visas for Somali nationals, set standard processing times at 45 calendar days, and may no longer waive evidence requirements for applicants.
• The bloc reimposed visa fees for holders of diplomatic and service passports while exempting those same diplomatic and official passport holders from the suspension.
• EU officials including Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner framed the step as temporary and reversible and said the measures aim to force practical talks on returning people who are in the EU without permission.
• The move fits a wider EU push to raise return rates through new deportation legislation and proposed external return hubs and follows past visa pressure used on Gambia in 2021 and Ethiopia in 2024.