Business Mobility: Visa Hotline Project & Free Movement of People

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1 Business Mobility: Visa Hotline Project & Free Movement of People PA-UfM 5 November 2012 Melih Özsöz IKV, Senior Researcher Visa Hotline Project, Coordinator

2 Business Mobility 2012; this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Single Market in Europe. A lot has been achieved. For European consumers the Single Market means more choice at lower prices. For citizens, the Single Market has given them the capacity to travel freely, to settle and work where they wish. For young people it has opened up the opportunity to study abroad more than 2.5 million students have seized this opportunity in the last 25 years. For the 23million companies in the EU the Single Market has opened up access to 500 million consumers and generated foreign investment. The message is clear: a strong, deep and integrated Single Market creates growth, generates jobs and offers opportunities for European citizens which were not there 20years ago

3 Visa Hotline Project Purpose The objective is to present the state of the art regarding the problems faced by Turkish citizens in obtaining visas; documents required and procedures applied, discretionary treatment and all other difficulties involved in obtaining visas and to report these to the authorities in chargeinturkeyandattheeulevel. Target Group Specifically: Business world, academic circles, students Generally: Turkish public

4 Incoming Calls 17 Dec Jan Phone Lines+ Jan June Phone TOTAL Telephone Fax Post Total

5 Participants Geographical Distribution Total Number of Cities: 54 Calls outside of Turkey: Germany+Belgium+France+Romania+Malta

6 Participants Profile -1 (Occupation) Number Self-employed 348 Employed 237 Student 195 Erasmus Student: 52 Academic 141 ForEU Project: 31 Housewife 61 Retired 39 Unemployed 21 Other(s) 26 N/A 79

7 Participants Profile -2 (Requested Visa Type) Calls according to the requested visa type Number Tourist / Family Visit 445 Business 315 Education/Academic 237 Health 3 Family Reunification* 60 Residence / Work Permit * 3 N/A 84

8 Participants Profile -3 (Result of Application) Calls according to the result of the application Number Visa rejected (negative) 592 Visa obtained (positive) 328 Application in progress 82 N/A 143 Deported 2

9 Distribution of Calls Overview (by EU Countries) Germany 418 Bulgaria 28 Switzerland 2 France 120 Portugal 27 Estonia 3 United Kingdom 87 Denmark 14 Slovakia 2 Belgium 78 Czech Republic 13 Slovenia 2 The Netherlands 73 Romania 9 Finland 1 Italy 49 Hungary 6 Ireland 2 Austria 35 Malta 4 Lithuania 1 Greece 31 Sweden 6 General (Schengen) Spain 30 Poland 3 N/A 56 47

10 Iceland 35+ complaints Norway Finland 25+ complaints 15+ complaints Sweden Estonia 15 complaints Latvia Ireland Denmark Lithuania United Kingdom (62) Netherlands (53) Poland Belarus Belgium (55) Luxembourg Germany (376) Czech Republic Ukraine France (95) Austria Switzerland Slovenia Slovakia Hungary Romania Moldova Portugal Andora Monaco Italy (44) Croatia Bulgaria Spain Greece TURKEY Malta TRNC GASC

11 The Consulate General of XXX refused an invitation letter, which I had submitted and requested the host university to send the letter directly to the Consulate. Academic, Istanbul (EU Project Coordinator) I applied for a visa 3 weeks prior to the conference. I also specified the urgency to attend the conference. The Consulate gave me an appointment date, which was the day after the launch of the Conference! Architect, Istanbul Due to delays on my visa application, I had to start my studies two months later than my friends. Student, Ankara As an Erasmus exchange student (*age: 24), the Consulate General of XXX requested a letter from a Turkish Bank stating that I have 10,000 Euros on my personal bank account. Erasmus Student, Đzmir All that my mother wants is to spend just one New Year s Eve with her daughter and grandchildren. But the Consulate denies it from her Berlin Academic, Student, Tourist, Retired

12 As visa refusals cause annoying and unnecessary costs, especially business people are demotivated to pursue business in Europe. Businessman, Đstanbul The attitude of the consulate officials is weird. They act as if they issue visas fom the heaven. Businesswoman, Ankara It is so humiliating to get an invitation letter to go abroad. But you have to. And when you go to that country with a visa, you sit at the table before the very person that sent you the invitation letter and you try to negotiate a business contract. You wouldn t be sitting there if he had not sent the invitation Businessman, Đzmir I had a long arranged meeting, but I missed it as I couldn t get a visa. I ended up in a very difficult position before my client. Businessman, Bursa Visa is used as a trade barrier. We almost have to beg the corresponding company for an invitation letter. Businessman, Denizli Business people

13 I don t think it is appropriate that the information related to hundereds even thousands of Turkish industrialists doing business with Europe is given to the Consulates due to visa procedures. This practice is against EU criterai of free competition and human rights. It forces us into an unfair competition with Europe. Business woman, Kocaeli The Consulates demand some documents of which confidentially is ensured by laws in Turkey, like tax declaration of property, banck accounts Consulates violate the principle of privacy of business, commercial ethics, and personal life! Businesswoman, Ankara visa exemption for business people? Does not work for Germany. They send me back from the border, eventhough i had a paper taken from the Chamber of Commerce Businessman, Đzmir What a humiliation! You have to hand your passport and documents through the iron bars of the Consulate building Businessman, Zonguldak I was told that even a pin that enters the Consulate does not go out. It was correct. I could not get back any of the original documents that I had given to the Consulate officers, during my application Businessman, Đstanbul Business people

14 Although I had an invitation letter from the corresponding company, my application was rejected on the grounds of irregularity in official documents. As a businessman, I never accept such an accusation Businessman, Bursa I received an invitation from high ranking bankers of an EU member country to discuss credit issues. In the invitation letter, although the sponsor institution expressed that it will cover all expenses of my travel and stay; the Consulate officials gave me a list of required documents containing 23 entries. I protested the situation and cancelled the meeting and communicated the situation to the other party. My respondents, of course, were shocked and regretted what happened. (...) Something has to be done about these countries that deprive business people of their right to equal opportunities. Businessman / Istanbul Those who want to get over the visa wall raised by the EU, fall into the hands of jobbeers called facilitators Businessman, Yozgat DRAMATIC EXAMPLE: 8 members of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Excahnges of Turkey EU Harmonization Committee, were rejected without any reason in Business people

15 Current State of Play: Visa Hotline Project Turkey Complaints received within the scope of the Visa Hotline Project can be classified in 8 main categories: 1- Refusal of the visa application / not stating any reasons for the rejection; 2-Quality / quantity of the documents required for the visa application; 3- Expenses (including fee for visa application / fee for intermediary agency etc.); 4-Treatment by the consular staff and physical environment / conditions of the consulates; 5- Moral / financial costs of the visa refusal / delays on visa; 6-Difference between requested and obtained visa; 7- General complaints; 8-Problems regarding family reunification. Business people are mainly concerned with

16 Visa Hotline Project Results The quality and quantity of the documents requested for the visa application is a matter of concern for business people. Quantity of the documents requested for the visa application; (Minumum 20 documents are requested for a business visa; number goes up to 25 in some Consulates) Content of the documents requested for visa application; (Secrecy and confidentiality of private and business life is violated; e.g. invitation letter, bank accounts, credit cards, company s registration documents etc.) Extra documents requested for visa application and the cost/burden of these documents; (notarized approval, apostil, translation etc.) Problems regarding request of original documents for business; (no return) The fee for visa paid to consulates / intermediary agencies (if applicable) and also other costs are an important matter of complaint for business people. Excessive visa fee; Service fee paid to intermediary agency for visa application; PIN code; Bank commissions; Costs related to the requested documents; Difference in visa fees requested by each consulate due to different exchange rates applied; No refund of the visa feein case of refusal. Business people are mainly concerned with

17 Visa Hotline Project Results The financial loss/ costs regarding the visa refusal or delays on visa application: Non-refunded costs due to delayed visa procedures or rejection; Costs relating to the necessity of applying in person(travel/accomodation/interruption of work); Additional charges(form fee, translation costs etc.); Missed opportunities(business meetings, fairs etc.); Problems regarding further travels during visa application. Difference between the requested and obtained visa: Duration related problems; Visa type related problems(single/multiple entry). Business people are mainly concerned with

18 Visas -Conclusion Major Barrier in front of: Business People to People Contacts Negative Impact on: Trade,Investment, Business Opportunities Tourism/ Travel decisions Feelings of injustice and discrimination (humiliation). Breach of a fundamental right: Freedom of movement. Breach of EU s principles: Free/Fair Comptetion. Europeanization vs. Reactive/Emotional EU Opposition.

19 Significance of Visa Hotline Project Pioneering study; First and foremost civil initiative in this area; Human Dimension with Real-Life Examples; Raise awareness both in Turkey and the EU; Monitoring process- Watchdog of the process; Source of reference-contact point.

20 Significance of Visa Hotline Project Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs established a visa hotline for Turkish citizens who are facing difficulties. More visibility in the art scene 12th Istanbul Bienal The Concise Book of Visa Appliction Forms by Meriç Algün Ringborg Passports by Baha Boukhari

21 Significance of Visa Hotline Project Manchester Trienale, Castlefiel Gallery / 2011 Life in the UK / Balance of Probabilities

22 Significance of Visa Hotline Project Devrim Kadirbeyoğlu, Turin, Italy / 2011 Who Draws the Line?

23 Current State of Play Uncertainty. EC-Turkey Readmission Agreement about to be signed. Major reforms underway (biometric passports, border control etc.) Unlike W.Balkans no clear roadmap: Application of the Visa Code Visa Facilitation Visa Liberalisation Technical Criteria vs. Political Will Politicization of Technicalities?

24 Future Scenarios Croatia Next EU Member State; Western Balkans following suit In the continuation of visas; Turkish nationals will need visas to travel Another dividing line in the neighbourhood between Turkey and Western Balkans?

25 Visa Hotline Project Outputs * Visa Hotline Project, Preliminary Survey Report (Turkish) * Visa Hotline Project, Background Paper (Turkish & English) * Visa Hotline Project, Final Report (Turkish & English) * Visa Policy of Member States and the EU Towards Turkish Nationals After Soysal (3 EDITIONS - English) All the publications are available at