Visa-free Travel to the EU: Prospects for a European Choice and Democratization by the Occupied Territories of Georgia

In December 2015, the European Commission acknowledged the fulfilment of Georgia’s Visa Liberalization Action Plan (VLAP) benchmarks1, a step that brought Georgian passport holders a step closer to the realistic prospect of travelling visa free inside the Schengen area in the foreseeable future. Although the date for lifting visa requirements for the citizens of Georgia remains uncertain, the expectations are manifold. Among other things, visa-free travel with the EU is, to some extent, viewed as a tangible mechanism to make the Georgian state attractive for its citizens living in the occupied territories and promote the process of democratization countrywide.