Top court rules EU countries not required to give humanitarian visas
The European Court of Justice deferred to national governments in decision over whether to issue visas to asylum seekers. By Saim Saeed 3/7/17, 11:22 AM CET Updated 3/7/17, 11:55 AM CET The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that “member states are not required, under EU law, to grant a humanitarian visa” to people who intend to apply for asylum once they enter the country, it announced Tuesday. The decision relates to the case of an Orthodox Christian couple from Aleppo, Syria, who applied for a Belgian visa in October from Lebanon. The Belgian Foreigners’ Office refused the application, claiming the couple planned to stay in Belgium beyond the visa’s 90-day limit. When the couple appealed, the Belgian Asylum and Immigration Board referred the case to the EU’s top court. In its decision, the ECJ deferred to national governments’ judgment on the issue, writing...