RT.com
01 Oct 2022, 06:13 GMT+10
The European Commission has published new guidelines that tighten restrictions on Russian nationals
Russian citizens should not be allowed to apply for short-stay EU visas from third countries, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said on Friday while presenting updated visa and border control rules for Russians.
"They have to do that from their home country, Russia," she said, as thousands of men are fleeing Russia amid the ongoing partial mobilization announced last week by President Vladimir Putin.
The commissioner explained that the new restrictions were imposed as a response to what she called Moscow's "escalation" in the Ukraine conflict.
The right to apply for asylum is "a fundamental right" for any person, Johansson said, but obtaining an EU tourist or short-term visa is not a right but a "privilege."
Therefore, Johansson said, the EU authorities should also stop renewing short-term visas for Russians in Europe.
"If a Russian person intends to stay longer than 90 days in the EU, he or she should not be issued a visa," she said.
At the same time, the commissioner said, Europe "will not close its door to those who are in genuine need of protection."
According to the statement, which was published by the European Commission, all visa applications from Russian citizens should be considered in line with "a strict approach assessing the justification of the journey."
The guidelines also suggest that consulates and border guards should strictly "reassess" visas that have already been issued. Border guards should have the power to revoke Schengen visas regardless of which state had issued them, the document states.
The new restrictions come weeks after the EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Moscow. Last week, however, EU Council President Charles Michel called on the bloc to welcome Russians who are fleeing the country "because of their political opinions."
Some EU member states are taking a much harsher approach, however. On Friday, Finland closed its borders for Russians with Schengen tourist visas.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics also said recently that his country would not issue humanitarian or other types of visas to fleeing Russian nationals because many of them "were fine with killing Ukrainians."
According to Western media, citing official statistics from various countries, more than 200,000 people have left Russia since September 21.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Raleigh Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Raleigh Times.
More InformationNEW YORK: This week, ratings agency Moody's warned that it could downgrade China's credit rating, citing costs to bail out ...
NEW YORK, New York - AI set the scene for solid gains in technology shares on Thursday. Demand for Alphabet ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: To help reduce car collisions with wildlife and help animals safely cross roadways, the U.S. Transportation Department has ...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: To address power shortages at electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, last week, the European Commission announced plans to ...
BEIJING, China: Falling hog prices, mounting losses and rising debt are putting pressure on the biggest pig breeders in China, ...
NEW YORK, New York - A decline in labor costs as measured by ADP failed to boost U.S. Markets Wednesday."ADP's ...
WASHINGTON DC - In a major blow to U.S. President Joe Biden, less that a year out from the November ...
RALEIGH, North Carolina: After a decade of discussions and hesitations, North Carolina has expanded Medicaid coverage by offering government-funded health ...
(Photo credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports) Tua Tagovailoa is on the verge of setting personal bests for passing yardage and ...
(Photo credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports) Fifth-ranked UConn will play the first of its two remaining non-conference games when ...
(Photo credit: Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK) Caitlin Clark scored 35 points, becoming the 15th Division I women's ...
(Photo credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports) Jayden Taylor poured in 21 points as North Carolina State routed Maryland-Eastern Shore 93-61 ...