The EaP CSF Armenian National Platform considers unacceptable the disrespectful and irresponsible attitude of TLScontact Visa Application Centre in Armenia towards the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, and in particular the representatives of civil society.
We must note that in this center, which handles visa applications for Italy and the United Kingdom, the representatives of the EaP CSF Armenian National Platform member CSOs have faced lack of communication and feedback, as well as irregular queues and technical errors, for which their staff does not bear any responsibility.
Thus, many of our citizens and partners have become victims of the mentioned irresponsible and unprofessional work of the TLScontact Visa Application Center and the UK Visa and Immigration Agency (UKVI), and have not been returned their passports for almost 1 month. The visa applicants are mostly young people, students, civil society activists, which due to these “technical errors” have been deprived of work or study visit opportunities, suffering financial and moral damages.
The EaP CSF Armenian National Platform considers this situation unacceptable and calls on the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Armenia and the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene in the situation, to express an official position and ensure that the TLScontact Visa Application Centre and the UK Visa and Immigration Agency issue a public apology for their disrespectful and irresponsible attitude towards RA citizens, as well as compensate their financial damages.
The EaP CSF Armenian National Platform has to state with regret that the issue, which resulted in this statement, is not a singular case. The behavior of Visa Application Centres (the commercial partners of the EU member states in Armenia) and their employees negatively affects the image of the European Union in Armenia and runs contrary to the spirit of the Visa Facilitation Agreement, as well as the expectations regarding its practical implementation.
