eu-com-schengen-coop

organized as another step in the public awareness campaign. The Delegation funded an initiative of
two non-governmental organizations to conduct students-oriented and youth-led long term project
entitled “Visa Free Armenia”.
3.1 Application of the Visa Code
MS are prepared to carry out the tasks under the Visa Code. MS have not reported any specific
problems related to the implementation of the Visa Code.
3.2 Exchange of information
Some embassies regularly send their visa statistics as well as inform about possible visa fraud and
refusals. However, lack of cooperation from certain MS can be felt. Embassies have their approved
list of TMI agencies.
3.3 Any other initiative taken in LSC
The Delegation twice invited the immigration officer of the Dutch Embassy in Kiev who made
presentation on abuse of documents/ Schengen visas at the airports. A Local IOM representative
was invited to make a Presentation of a base-line survey on the implementation of the EU Visa
code. The survey had been held under the supervision of IOM within the EU-Funded "Evidencebased
management of labour migration" project.
The delegation developed a single template for visa statistics reporting. The delegation in
cooperation with MS consuls will also prepare a common information sheet for visa applicants
once the harmonized list of visa supporting documents is approved.
4. Challenges
In the reporting period the greatest challenges according to some MS consuls were high migratory
risk and high rate of asylum seekers from Armenia who often obtained visas from embassies other
than those of their final destination. Among other concerns the consuls mentioned absence of VIS
and impossibility to verify sometimes the authenticity of submitted documents.
In the next reporting period i.a. VF and RA agreements implementation is expected to be addressed.
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