The Gulf Cooperation Council launched its unified tourist visa system. The system allows travellers to visit six member states with one document.
While the Gulf states embrace seamless travel between their borders, Europe awaits upcoming legislation to come into affect.
Germany reinstated border controls with all nine neighbours earlier this month.
European Integration Stalls Under Migration Pressure
Across Europe, governments continue to buckle under migration pressure. The European Union recorded over 120,000 migrant pushbacks in 2024 alone.
Border controls multiply as member states abandon collective responsibility. The EU’s Pact on Migration and Asylum passed in May 2024.
However, the agreement won’t take effect until 2026. By then, the damage to European cooperation may prove irreversible.
Gulf States Build While Europe Fragments
In December 2024, the Gulf states implemented their Schengen-style visa system. The initiative mirrors Europe’s original vision of barrier-free travel via the Schengen Zone.
Tourists can now explore Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman with one visa.
The Gulf system addresses what Europe struggles with most: freedom of movement with security gurantees.
It simplifies travel procedures without compromising security. Each state maintains control over its borders while enabling free movement within the region.
Europe’s Migration Crisis Deepens Continental Divide
Yet Europe’s migration system remains broken. The Mediterranean witnessed the highest recorded migrant deaths since 2017 owing to a uptick in push factors and a lack of effective deterrent amongst EU member states.
Some 2,300 people died at sea in 2024. Meanwhile, irregular border crossings dropped by 38% in 2024.
The decline reflects harsher enforcement by some EU states than better policies. Member states increasingly push back migrants at borders rather than process asylum claims.
Regional Cooperation Flourishes Outside Europe
Beyond migration, the Gulf states are pushing regional coordination.
October 2024 saw the first EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit.
The meeting highlighted the growing partnership between the regions. The Gulf states seek visa-free travel to Europe.
Their unified approach contrasts sharply with Europe’s disjointed approach to regional challenges.
Critics Overlook European Dysfunction
Some observers might dismiss the Gulf’s achievements as window dressing. Some onlookers would say authoritarian states find cooperation easier than democratic ones, as decisions are passed and enforced, without checks and balances that often inhibit or slow political decision-making.
Diverse European societies encounter greater challenges than homogeneous Gulf monarchies yet that misses the point entirely.
Europe’s democratic values should strengthen, not weaken, collective action. The continent’s diversity should enrich cooperation, not prevent it.
Building Walls Never Solves Problems
The contrast between Gulf cooperation and European fragmentation offers clear lessons. Building walls and reinstating borders won’t fix Europe’s migration problems.
Only collective action, where democratic states are at their strongest, can address shared challenges. The Gulf states understand this although under different socio-political contexts.
Their unified visa system aims to boost tourism and foster regional economic integration. Europe, by contrast, shares similar ideals yet faces the daunting reality of nationalism and border controls because of the lack of member state coordination.
European voters and leaders confront a choice. The EU-27 can continue down the path of fragmentation and nationalism.
Alternatively, the bloc can rebuild the cooperative spirit that made Europe a beacon of integration whilst upholding rigid national security. Europe and the GCC share similar perspectives on the freedom of movement across neighbouring borders yet only one is winning.
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Schengen: Freedom of Movement No More?
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Demographic Decline: Europe Seeks Quick Fix for Deeper Issues
