(MENAFN) The European Parliament has passed new legislation granting the European Union broader authority to suspend visa-free travel for nationals of third countries found to be violating human rights or disregarding international legal rulings.

The reform strengthens the EU’s existing visa suspension framework, which currently applies to 61 countries whose citizens can enter the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.

Under the updated rules, the European Commission will gain expanded powers to restore visa requirements for countries deemed security risks or those failing to meet international obligations.

For the first time, breaches of the UN Charter, international human rights or humanitarian law, and non-compliance with international court rulings will serve as valid reasons to revoke visa-free privileges.

The revised policy also adds new potential triggers such as hybrid threats — including the deliberate use of migrants for political leverage — and “golden passport” schemes, in which citizenship is offered in exchange for investment, raising security concerns.

Existing criteria, including increasing numbers of visa overstays, low asylum approval rates, and inadequate cooperation on migrant readmission, will continue to apply.

To discourage abuses of the visa-free system, the law also empowers the EU to specifically target government officials responsible for severe rights violations by suspending their visa exemptions.
The measure, already provisionally agreed upon with EU member states, will require final endorsement by the Council before it becomes law.

According to the EU Visa Regulation’s Annex II, the list of countries with visa-free access currently includes Israel.

Since October 2023, Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The ongoing bombardment has left the enclave in ruins, causing severe hunger and disease among the population.

In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its military campaign in the territory.

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