Following the unofficial suspension of the issuance of Schengen visas in Iran, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that this action of European countries is in conflict and contrary to their positions regarding the rights of Iranian citizens and said: This restrictive action of European countries is in conflict and in conflict with the rights of citizens.
According to the report of Jahan Sorah, quoted by Isna, according to what Harmatullah Rafiei, the head of the board of directors of the trade association of travel service agencies of Iran, has announced, some European embassies, especially in the Schengen area, will process without official notification and in a decision that is mostly informal. At the request, the visa has been temporarily stopped and the issuance of the Schengen visa has been suspended.
According to the report of jahane-gardesh – ISNA reporter’s follow-up has also indicated that it is impossible to make an online appointment to apply for a Schengen visa from the embassies of European countries or companies related to them.
Also, according to the visa officer in one of the agencies in Tehran, the processing of visa requests by the embassies of European countries (Schengen area) based in Iran has stopped and it is not possible to get a visa from these embassies until the end of October (around 10th of Aban 1401).
So far, the embassies of France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Sweden have suspended the issuance of visas to Iranian citizens, following the recent unrest, or have taken the turn to process visa applications from It is mentioned that they are out of reach or restricted. The embassies of these countries have not reacted to this so far. However, the French Visa Application Processing Center in Tehran (VFS Global) announced about 10 days ago on September 29, 2022 equal to the 7th of October 1401, in a notice that it has stopped processing visa applications. This center has declared “internet disruption” in Iran as the reason for this action. In addition, the possibility of a natural increase in the risk of migration has been raised in recent turbulent and confusing days.
Mehrsa Sabzeha from tourism agencies in Tehran told ISNA: processing of visa requests by all embassies of the Schengen area has been stopped for some time and no new turn is given. Prior to this restrictive measure, the number of visas rejected by some embassies – including France – was higher than at any other time.
However, in response to ISNA’s report and question about this, Nasser Kanani – the spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – while expressing his ignorance and saying that he has not received a report in this regard so far, did not consider this restrictive action of European countries to be acceptable. And he stated: “Creating restrictions on the travel of Iranian citizens by European countries is contrary to what they declare, on the one hand, they emphasize the issue of respecting the rights of Iranian citizens, and on the other hand, they create restrictions on the travel of Iranian citizens.” This approach is contradictory and I hope this news is not true.
He also emphasized: “The restrictive action of European countries for the travel of Iranian citizens is not acceptable.”
The restrictive action of European Union member states and the Schengen area for Iranian nationals and travelers, although it appears to be an “informal” and “temporary” decision, but in the current situation, it is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In Article 13 of this declaration, which deals with the “right to freedom of movement”, it is stated: “Every citizen deserves and has the right to have freedom of movement within a country [movement from one point to another point] and residence in [any point] within the borders of the country.” Is. “Every human being has the right to leave any country, including his own country, and return to his own country.”
Although the right to freedom of travel and movement of people sometimes interferes with the sovereignty of countries, but according to international documents and fundamental human rights, governments cannot restrict the movement of people, except for criminals and accused persons.
Schengen is a single visa that can be used to travel to around 26 EU member states without border restrictions under certain conditions and within a certain period of time. In recent decades, some of these European countries, considering Iran’s political and economic conditions, have imposed very difficult conditions for granting visas to Iranians.
According to this report, Iran’s ambassador in Austria reacted to the suspension of Schengen visa issuance by some European countries and said:
This translation is the so-called support of European leaders for Iranian people!
In response to the suspension and temporary suspension of visa issuance by some European countries and the Schengen area for Iranian nationals and travelers, Iranian Ambassador to Austria Abbas Bagharpour wrote in a tweet: I cannot confirm this news, but if it is true, it shows that the positions of the leaders How is the European in the so-called support of the Iranian people translated in practice?
In an interview with ISNA, Harmatullah Rafiei, the head of the board of directors of the trade association of travel service offices of Iran, confirmed that some European embassies, especially in the Schengen area, without official notification and in a decision that is mostly informal, stopped processing visa requests for the time being and issued visas. Schengen has been suspended.
Nasser Kanani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, responded to ISNA on Monday about the fact that some travel agencies have announced that the embassies of some European countries have stopped issuing Schengen visas for Iranian citizens to travel to Europe. He said: If such news is true, this Restrictive action is not acceptable. Of course, I have not received a report in this regard so far, but imposing restrictions on the travel of Iranian citizens by European countries is contrary to what they announce. On the one hand, they emphasize the issue of respecting the rights of Iranian citizens, and on the other hand, they create restrictions on the travel of Iranian citizens, this approach is contradictory and I hope this news is not true.
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