LONDON: European visa systems within the Schengen area are excessively restrictive for human rights activists seeking entry from impoverished or conflict-affected regions, Amnesty International has said.
In a new report, the organisation urged Schengen states to remove barriers that undermine the rights and values they claim to champion.
The report identified 104 countries — primarily in South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East — where human rights defenders face major challenges in obtaining short-term European visas.
According to Amnesty, many applicants seek to travel to the 29 Schengen states for advocacy, networking, or to escape danger in their home countries. However, Schengen policies subject them to “indirect discrimination,” often racialising them as Black, Asian, or Muslim, and limiting their freedom of movement.
Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns, said: “The inability to access Schengen visas silences the voices and testimonies of human rights defenders from the Global South, excluding them from forums where decisions that profoundly impact their lives are made.”
“While Schengen states are entitled to decide who enters their territory, the impact of their visa systems on human rights defenders from 104 countries represents a clear disconnect between what they have committed to, through their guidelines and other commitments to protect human rights defenders, and what they actually do.”
Amnesty International outlined several key barriers faced by applicants from the 104 visa-restricted countries. One major challenge is determining where to submit visa applications, as many Schengen states lack embassies or consular agreements with these nations. This often forces applicants to travel abroad just to file their paperwork, the organisation said.
Another significant obstacle is the requirement for supporting documents. Many applicants come from marginalized backgrounds and are unable to provide the necessary financial or employment records, Amnesty added.
The organisation pointed to the revised EU Visa Handbook, published by the European Commission last year, as a positive step toward improving visa policies. The updated guidelines offer practical examples of how Schengen states can better support visa applications from human rights defenders.
Amnesty emphasised that the handbook should be “widely disseminated and fully implemented,” including among visa officials outside Europe.
The organisation also urged the introduction of a fast-track visa system specifically designed to assist human rights activists based outside the continent.
Rosas said: “Ensuring that human rights defenders have access to short-stay Schengen visas in a reliable, predictable, transparent and timely manner is indispensable to realize their right to defend rights without discrimination.”
