This report highlights the obstacles faced by human rights defenders (HRDs) from visa-restricted countries who want to access the Schengen area to fulfil their right to defend rights. It presents a picture of how racialized HRDs are particularly impacted by visa application processes and procedures. In a welcome development, the importance of mobility for HRDs has been recognised by EU institutions and Schengen states, which, in 2024, improved the guidance aimed at facilitating their travel. This report calls on authorities to ensure that HRDs are able to fulfil their right to defend rights, including through accessing short-term Schengen visas quickly; and to eliminate and prevent racial discrimination in the context of visa policies and processes.
