Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany allowed the families of those affected by the earthquake, Syrians and Turks, to temporarily host their relatives.

Croatia officially entered the Schengen area, while Bulgaria and Romania were rejected due to members' concerns about the increasing transit of refugees and regular migrants through them into the region's territory.

A debate is raging across Europe over whether all Russians should be banned from entering the EU, which would hold the Russian people collectively responsible for the war in Ukraine.

The rejection rate of the Moroccan visa applications is much higher than the average global rate of 13.5 percent. Questions rise about the political and social reasons standing behind this trend.