France, Germany and Finland are the last countries to lift the ban on couples in Europe, bringing the total to ten, because the EU calls on all countries to do the same.
The European Commission claims to have raised the “directly affecting many people” factor in one of its regular meetings with border authorities: “excluding unwr married couples of EU citizens and citizens from EU travel restrictions”.
It urges member states to use existing legislation to allow dual couples, separated by five-month bans, to meet.”In the existing legal situation, Member States can allow unwred couples with properly documented relationships to register in the EU, if they so wish,” he tweeted.
Thanks to the foreign crusade #LoveIsNotTourism, many are doing so.After Denmark in July, Norway, Netherlands, Iceland, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany and Finland now allow lovers’ encounters.
Just a week after Switzerland brought couples’ exemptions from 3 August, France, Germany and Finland joined, leaving 20 of the EU and Schengen countries where there are restrictions on opening their borders out of love.
“Binational couples and families have been separated for nearly six months due to Covid-19 bans,” implodes the #LoveIsNotTourism crusade, “Help us bring them together!”
EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson contributed decisively to driving change.It needs all European governments to adopt ” the broadest imaginable definition of association ”.
After pressure from the #LoveIsEssential of Bundestag politicians and German MPs, Germany joined the crowd on 10 August.
“I entered Germany successfully!” Kayla, an American, tweeted after visiting Europe to locate Maxim.”I can’t. Tears of happinessArray …”I presented the border guard with a document pointing to our appointments and an airfare passed to Germany and no additional questions were asked.”
But a German precondition for couples to have already met in Germany abroad is a source of frustration and anger.Activists are calling for a quick replacement of the rules.
“It’s stupid for 3 reasons,” says German MEP and #LoveIsEssential Moritz Koerner.”This surely has nothing to do with Corona, you can fall in love anywhere.And those who adopt such regulations have not yet understood the globalized world.”
“The German Interior Ministry has nevertheless reached its heart,” he tweeted, “but there are still many problems, we are still solving them.Today, it’s clear: #LoveIsEssential.”
In France, reunions will soon be possible. Couples will be able to apply for a pass to allow their spouse to enter, by submitting documents to local consulates proving the relationship, as well as an apartment in France (for one person) and a retroactive price ticket (for the other).
“This virus doesn’t like love. We love him,” Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Secretary of State for Tourism, told the Journal du Dimanche.
“At external borders, established non-public intimate appointments are also perceived as an explanation of the reason for entry,” the Finnish government said after introducing new regulations for couples on August 6.
At Europe’s internal borders, regulations are more comfortable and make a ‘close non-public relationship’ bigger…”Border controls are mainly based on the traveler’s self-declaration in that relationship.”
A major impediment is that airlines and immigration officials recognize exceptions for couples made through the authorities.
“The Swiss government explicitly advises us to only take direct flights,” says Solange Collet, #LoveIsNotTourism member in Switzerland, “which unfortunately is an option for everyone.Right now, there are many options.
She says Spain has been a key transit country, but many other people have gone to airports to be rejected.Even halfway.
He said his colleague, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, who is a member of the European Parliament’s shipping committee, is stepping up the pressure on airlines to comply with the new rules.
Airlines For Europe reacted, highlighting its weight in the campaign.The Brussels-based airline agreement says it accounts for 70% of air traffic on the continent.
Another challenge is the lack of flights from certain countries.Collet is willing to locate his Colombian partner. The only planes leaving the country are humanitarian flights, “technically only for Europeans or spouses,” he said.
In addition, Colombia continues to withstand the completion of the state of emergency (currently 31 August).We are in a desperate situation, as are the Peruvians and South Americans.
“The Swiss embassy advises others to take the scheduled flights, which are expected to resume in September.Then we’ll give you our papers, so I hope you’re aboard one of them.
I have 3 decades of experience as a journalist, foreign correspondent and writer-photographer, working for print, virtual and radio media on 4 continents,
I have 3 decades of experience as a journalist, foreign correspondent and travel writer-photographer.Working for print, virtual and radio media on 4 continents, I am also an experienced hotel journalist and writer of travel guides and cultural histories in Australia, France., Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Borneo.Very on the road between my Parisian and Australian bases, I write for Forbes with a globetrotting attitude and a topicality in travel, culture, hospitality, art and architecture. My hobby is to capture the unique people, situations and occasions I encounter along the way, whether in words or images.I have a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from the University of Canberra, a master’s degree in European journalism from Robert Schuman University in Strasbourg and a member of the Society of American Travel Writers: Love for My Wild Local Island of Tasmania fuels my commitment to sustainable travel and conservation.