The Schengen visa regime has been regulating the entry of citizens from Turkey to the  Schengen region for several decades. Lengthy procedures and uncertain outcomes result in frustration and despair among citizens from Turkey seeking to travel to the Schengen region for work, important family events and tourism. In his ongoing PhD research project Mert Cangönül investigates the politics and practice of the visa regime. In this discussion, recorded on 29 July 2024, Mert argues that, for all its apparent arbitrariness, the current visa regime is shaped by gendered, racialized and classist discourses, both implicit and explicit. The outsourcing of policing applications and ‘managing’ applicants by Schengen states to private actors such as VFS Global, adds to the already steep fees charged by consulates.

After the mid-2010s we observed two additional barriers concerning access to visas. In less than a decade visa rejection rates tripled for Turkish nationals, and have now reached 18%. Second, visa appointment and decision-making delays. These [delays] can be up to three months and are affecting visa applicants.

Episode 57 – Everywhere You Want To Be

Mert Cangönül’s research interests include the political sociology of border surveillance in the context of passports and visa regimes. His PhD dissertation on the Schengen visa regime in Türkiye is funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (Tübitak), Surveillance Studies Network (SSN), and Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES).

Podcasts are published by TLP for the purpose of encouraging informed debate on the legacies of the events surrounding the Lausanne Conference. The views expressed by participants do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TLP, its partners, convenors or members.