<s>[INST] The next text is a question of a member of the European parliament:"The majority of the European Union — its citizens and visitors — benefit from the Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border controls within the Schengen area members whilst strengthening border controls with non-member states. The rules include provisions on the harmonisation of external border controls and common visa requirements.   St Lucia is the largest of the Windward Islands and it benefits from EU programmes in the Caribbean. The UK has strong links with the island, with a number of its nationals residing in the UK.   I am concerned to learn however that some Schengen States (including Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland) do not recognise St Lucia passports. Iunderstand that this means that other Schengen States are unable to issue ‘Schengen Visas’ and can therefore only issue visas limiting entry to themselves causing inconvenience to travellers who therefore require multiple visas when travelling, contrary to the sprit of Schengen.   Has the Commission enquired as to why a number of EU states refuse to recognise St Lucian passports? What steps is the Commission taking to remove these difficulties for St Lucian passport holders? Does the Commission know of other countries whose nationals are unable to benefit from the Schengen zone?"
Analyze carefully the text and assign it to the most relevant policy area among those listed below. Do not explain your answer and return only a number.
Policy area numbers: 1 = Macroeconomics
2 = Civil Rights, Minority Issues and Civil Liberties
3 = Health
4 = Agriculture and Fisheries
5 = Labour, employment and pensions
6 = Education
7 = Environment
8 = Energy
9 = Immigration
10 = Transportation
12 = Law and Crime
13 = Social welfare
14 = Regional and Urban issues and Planning
15 = Banking, finance and domestic commerce issues
16 = Defence
17 = Space, science, technology, and communications issues
18 = Foreign trade
19 = International affairs and foreign aid
20 = Governance and government
21 = Public Lands, Water Management and Territorial Issues
23 = Culture and media
[/INST]. Answer = [9]. </s>
The majority of the European Union — its citizens and visitors — benefit from the Schengen Agreement, which eliminates border controls within the Schengen area members whilst strengthening border controls with non-member states. The rules include provisions on the harmonisation of external border controls and common visa requirements.   St Lucia is the largest of the Windward Islands and it benefits from EU programmes in the Caribbean. The UK has strong links with the island, with a number of its nationals residing in the UK.   I am concerned to learn however that some Schengen States (including Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland) do not recognise St Lucia passports. Iunderstand that this means that other Schengen States are unable to issue ‘Schengen Visas’ and can therefore only issue visas limiting entry to themselves causing inconvenience to travellers who therefore require multiple visas when travelling, contrary to the sprit of Schengen.   Has the Commission enquired as to why a number of EU states refuse to recognise St Lucian passports? What steps is the Commission taking to remove these difficulties for St Lucian passport holders? Does the Commission know of other countries whose nationals are unable to benefit from the Schengen zone?