Why the hassle?

One of the key demands Turkey made to European Union countries in exchange for stopping the flow of refugees across its borders was to grant visa waivers to its nationals wishing to travel to EU countries.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan knows very well how to play his cards in dealing with Europe after seeing his country’s bid to join the EU rebuffed on more than one occasion.

The Turkish leader said, in so many words, that Europe needs Turkey more than Turkey needs Europe.

Erdogan wanted to extort a concession from Europe that would effectively bring his people closer to the privileges enjoyed by nationals of EU member states.

The Turkish president is obviously driving a hard bargain, but he believes he can get what he wants if Europe wants him to save it from migrants from the Middle East.

For Turkey, this would be a fair quid pro quo that Europe cannot afford to reject.

Lifting visa requirements for Turkish citizens might lead to the entry of a large number of Turkish workers into Europe, especially to their favourite country, Germany. 

But there is more to gain than to lose in sealing such a concession to Turkey if this category of people — workers — can be subjected to certain rules for admission to a European state.

If Turkey can get so much for its citizens in return for its role in controlling the flow of refugees, why cannot Jordan do the same?

Syrian refugees being settled in the north of Jordan would have ended going up north, into Turkey and beyond, had Jordan not opened its border to them, in deference to international norms on refugees.

Why must all Jordanians apply for a visa when they travel to a European country, even for a very limited time and often for business or to seek medical treatment?

Jordanians who can afford to buy airplane tickets to travel to Europe are normally not the kind who wants to migrate to Europe or stay there permanently. Why would they?

Some reasonable relaxation of the visa rules on certain groups of Jordanians would seem also fair and in order.

True, the government is not seeking or pushing for this treatment of its citizens, but that does not mean Jordanians are not also entitled to the treatment Turkish citizens would be entitled to in due course.

Why should a Jordanian diplomat or a Jordanian businessman, for example, need to go through the hassle of applying for a visa to enter a European country when he or she does not pose a security or an economic risk?

This question awaits a legitimate answer from the EU.