EU stops issuing multi-entry visas to Russian residents

The European Fee has adopted stricter guidelines for issuing visas to Russian nationals as a consequence of heightened safety dangers linked to the Russo-Ukrainian warfare, the weaponisation of migration, acts of sabotage and potential abuse of the visa regime.

Supply: European Pravda, quoting Henna Virkkunen, Govt Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Safety and Democracy, and Kaja Kallas, Excessive Consultant for Overseas Affairs and Safety Coverage

Quote from Henna Virkkunen: "Russia's unlawful and unprovoked warfare of aggression in opposition to Ukraine continues to pose a severe menace to European safety, with heightened dangers associated to sabotage, disinformation and drone incursions within the Union."

Particulars: The Fee known as the choice a mandatory step to guard the safety of the European Union and its residents.

Quote from Kaja Kallas: "We’ve got an obligation to guard our residents. Stricter guidelines will now apply to Russian nationals requesting a visa to journey to the EU. Travelling to and freely transferring throughout the EU is a privilege not a given."

Extra particulars: Any more, Russian residents will not be capable to get hold of multi-entry visas. They must apply for a brand new visa every time they plan to journey to the EU. It will permit candidates to be screened extra totally and extra steadily, decreasing any potential safety dangers.

The measure goals to scale back threats to public coverage and inner safety whereas permitting narrowly outlined exceptions, corresponding to for unbiased journalists and human rights defenders, making certain constant utility throughout all EU member states and stopping circumvention.

The choice relies on a joint evaluation by member states inside native Schengen cooperation in Russia and should be endorsed by all member states within the Visa Committee.

Background:

• Some reviews have steered that the EU desires to tighten visa guidelines for Russians by the top of the week.
• The EU has already made it tougher for Russians to acquire visas by suspending the visa facilitation settlement with Russia on the finish of 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• A number of member states, together with the Baltic states and Poland, have gone additional by banning or severely limiting the entry of Russians.

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