Cyprus applied to become part of the Schengen area in September.
Cyprus became a candidate country bound to join the Schengen Area. Residents of non-EU states who hold valid multiple-entry Schengen visas can first pass through a full Schengen member territory and enter Cyprus. The above arrangements do not apply for persons holding a Turkish or Azerbaijani passport, says Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Schengen zone was in crisis since summer 2016, which by many opinions could lead to its invalidation. Several European countries introduced border checks in 2015. They continued to implement these temporary measures, which made the former free movement within the EU a mere fiction. For example, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer extended border controls for another six months, until November 2019. It seems as a pillar of the EU, Schengen zone displayed serious cracks for quite some time.
Austria introduced checks on all borders amidst the refugee crisis. Particular focus is on its land borders with Slovenia, Hungary and Italy. In Belgium, checks with the French border introduced since the closure of migrant camps around Calais. In Denmark, border control introduced on the Danish-Swedish borders and the Danish-German border. France, Germany, Sweden and Norway systematically impose border control during the last few years, blocking entry for four years in a row, to migrants seeking to reach northern Europe.
EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, called for revert the situation back to normal in the Schengen area. “If Schengen ceases to exist, Europe will die,” the Greek Commissioner told a lecture in Washington.
A report from the Bertelsmann Foundation estimated that the reintroduction of permanent border controls would lead to a growth loss of €77 billion for Germany between 2016 and 2025, and €470 billion in total for the EU.
The EU is still border-free, but with notable exceptions. The border-free area currently includes 26 countries: 22 EU countries, plus non-EU Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.
The six EU countries that do not participate are Britain, Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus. And Cyprus just made a step inside.
If the Schengen zone survives, the Cyprus passport will become an even more attractive option for business people and their families. Oracle Capital Group monitors the situation closely and offers attractive immigration packages for the future residents of Cyprus.
