Starting July 1, Europe will welcome travellers outside of the European Union for the first time since its borders were shut due to the coronavirus pandemic. For that purpose, it has released a draft list of 54 countries that will be allowed into the continent. And, surprisingly, India has found its name on the list. On the other hand, the United States – the worst-affected country by COVID-19 – is not on the list.
EU May Bar Travelers From US, Russia, Brazil
According to Euronews, when EU officials met to discuss which countries will be allowed to enter the EU on July 1, they failed to agree on a common list of the countries that would be barred from entering the block. However, they did manage to create a list of countries who will be ‘granted entry’ to the EU.
While India has been added to the safe list of countries, travelers from the US, Russia, Brazil and Qatar have been barred. The primary reason being the fact that these countries have not been able to control the coronavirus outbreak successfully, which makes them extremely risky.
The other countries allowed in the draft list include Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, and the Vatican. The list also includes China, but only if China allows EU travelers to visit as well.
Similarly, Britain, despite having left the EU, is still being considered part of the bloc until year’s end. So UK nationals are being treated in the same way as EU citizens and are granted access nevertheless.
Also Read: Survey Reveals GCC Will Return To International Travel By August And September
EU List Yet To Be Formalized
As per the report, countries were judged on a mix of scientific criteria before making it to the safe list. These included infection rates, the ability to apply containment measures during travel and the credibility of public health reporting data. However, some diplomats have asserted that COVID data rates are not reliable, resulting in a disagreement between the EU nations. Hence, they are seeking the help of ECDC, the EU agency for disease prevention, to come up with more details to help them finalize the list.
As per officials, the list will also be updated every 2 weeks, leaving open the possibility for adding/ removing countries. Also, the list is not legally binding. However, if a state opens borders to disapproved countries, they could be shut off from other EU partners.
Such competing demands within the EU highlights the unique difficulties the pandemic has thrown in front of us. Restoring the global network of travel is indeed going to be a challenge!
Also Read: International Flights To Remain Suspended Till July 15: DGCA