The accession of new countries to the Schengen Agreement will allow their citizens to freely cross open internal borders without visas in their passports. Currently, all EU countries have joined the Schengen Agreement except Great Britain and Ireland (Norway and Iceland, which have joined the Schengen zone, are not EU members). In total, the Schengen zone includes 15 countries.
All foreigners legally residing in one of the Schengen zone countries have the right to short-term visa-free visits to any other state in the zone, provided they travel with a passport recognized by all countries participating in the agreement and a residence permit issued by the authorities of the country of residence.
The period until 2005 is necessary to ensure the functioning of the border information exchange system between the new EU members. In addition, the new EU members must strengthen their eastern borders by 2005. The Czech Republic, upon joining the EU, will not have a common border with countries outside the European Union. However, the EU's requirements for strengthening control over illegal migration and defining clear conditions for the arrival and integration of new settlers also apply to it.
This is already being felt: immigration laws have been brought into line with EU norms, operations to identify and deport illegal immigrants are regularly conducted, asylum conditions have been tightened, and employers using illegal labor will be fined millions. If earlier the status of a co-founder of a company in the form of an LLC automatically gave the right to obtain a residence permit, now each case is thoroughly checked. If the mailbox at the company's legal address does not have its name, it is considered fictitious. And that is enough to refuse the owner of the company a residence permit for five years. If, during a check of a foreigner's registration at the address specified in the visa passport, it turns out that he does not reside there, the result will be the same. There is also talk that quotas for the number of migrants from the East have been introduced since 2003. However, as Delovaya Praga reports, there is no official information on this matter.
At the same time, checks are carried out to see whether a foreigner with a residence permit in the Czech Republic as an entrepreneur is actually engaged in real business, pays taxes, and makes contributions to health and social insurance funds. If not, a decision may be made not to extend his next annual multi-visa.
Until 2004-2005, all foreigners residing in the territory of the Czech Republic will go through a system of control measures. Those who confirm their legal right to a residence permit will be able to move freely within the Schengen zone, unless, of course, new laws appear by that time. The foreign police believe that nothing drastic in immigration legislation is expected in the coming years. The last changes to the law were made in May of last year. But no one rules out that the practice of applying certain provisions of the law may change.
Everyone understands that all possible restrictions are aimed against the spontaneous process of migration from east to west. As for EU citizens, they have the right to obtain a permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic after three years of living in the country. Everyone else - after ten years.
The very timeline for resolving the issue of including new EU members in the Schengen zone (2005) is not new. Two years ago, this was mentioned, in particular, when determining the completion dates for the construction of a new terminal at Prague's Ruzyně International Airport, designed to serve passengers who are citizens of EU countries.