A seven-page leaked document, debated by diplomats from the 27 EU states representing the European Council, shows that the Member States are concerned about the consequences of visa liberalization violation by the citizens of some of the benefiting countries in Eastern Europe.

The document, seen by the RFE/RL shows that the Council members all agree on the possibility of visa liberalization suspension for some of these countries, that are also part of the Eastern Partnership, among others due to unfounded asylum applications by their citizens.

The document notes that “the high number of unfounded asylum applications by some Eastern partner countries nationals in the EU member states raises concerns,” while not listing any of the countries as who could be stripped of the visa liberalization benefit.

In the last three years, several of the Schengen countries have complained that nationals of the countries benefiting from a visa-free regime with Europe are violating entry rules by using the visa-free entry for illegal work, criminal purposes, and filing asylum requests without any basis.

In the past, Germany and Sweden have complained that Georgian criminal gangs are using visa liberalization commit crimes in their territory.

About a year ago, the Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani had warned that the visa-free travel to the Schengen zone for Georgians was “going through some particular difficulties,” pointing out that the European countries are worrying that some Georgians are “abusing the visa-free mechanism.”

“Changes should be made so that those honest citizens, who are travelling to the Schengen zone and then coming back can continue to benefit from visa-free travel,” she’d said at the time while reminding Georgians that the visa-free regime does not grant to travellers with the right to settle in Europe or work there.

Shortly after, Mamuka Bakhtadze, who was Georgia’s Prime Minister, told journalists that it was “groundless to say Georgia may be deprived of visa liberalization” denying that there was a real risk for Georgians to lose visa-free access to the 26 Schengen countries.

Yet, EU Council’s leaked document shows that the Member States have not excluded visa liberalization suspension, as one of the means to “discipline” some of the Eastern Partnership countries.

Besides, the document, which is still being discussed, lists a few conclusions regarding these countries, in brackets, which means that not all of the Schengen countries have agreed on those conclusions.

According to anonymous sources of RFE/RL, France, supported by some southern EU countries, has insisted on placing in brackets a phrase that states that “the Council acknowledges the European aspirations and European choice of the Eastern Partners concerned, as stated in the association agreements.”

The Council, on the meantime, is excepting that France will eventually give up on its requirement, as the phrase has been the EU standard for acknowledging that Eastern Partnership countries such as Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine can join the bloc in the future, for a few years now.