Brussels set to tighten visa rules for Russians, says Politico

The European Union is preparing to tighten its position on issuing visas to Russian citizens after years of pressure from member states along its eastern border, Brussels-based politics and policy news organisation Politico has reported, citing a European Commission official.

Source: European Pravda citing Politico

Details: A European Commission official said that new guidelines for EU member states, due at the end of the year, will recommend stricter restrictions on issuing visas to Russians and citizens of other hostile countries.

Two European diplomats from countries bordering Russia said their governments have for years lobbied Brussels to issue such guidance, with one diplomat describing them as long overdue. 

More details: The EU already revoked its visa facilitation agreement with Moscow in September 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, making the visa application process more expensive and arduous.

But visas remain the responsibility of individual member countries, meaning the European Commission executive cannot impose a sweeping ban on Russians entering the bloc.

As a result, national policies vary widely, with some countries, such as Poland, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, blocking or severely limiting visas for Russians except in specific cases. Others, including Hungary, France, Spain and Italy, continue to issue them more liberally.

The European Commission’s upcoming bloc-wide strategy, set to be released in December, will not impose binding rules but rather set out general recommendations, including stricter criteria for Russians entering the bloc, according to the Commission official.

The plan is expected to partly "focus on addressing emerging challenges, particularly those related to security risks," according to the request to Brussels.

The guidelines, which are still under discussion, are separate from any potential visa ban that could be considered as part of the EU’s forthcoming sanctions package against Russia.

Some members of Russia’s civil society have warned the EU against weaponising tourist visas against Moscow. Yulia Navalnaya, a key figure in Russia’s exiled opposition and widow of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, this week voiced her dismay after media reports that the EU was considering a Russian tourist ban as part of its 19th sanctions package, set to be unveiled later this month.

In her letter to the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Navalnaya urged Brussels to "make a clear distinction between the responsibility of the regime and ordinary Russians". She suggested aiming such restrictions at "oligarchs, security officials, propagandists, and other accomplices of the regime".

Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský has long proposed banning Russian diplomats from travelling outside the country where they have been posted.

Background:

• Germany seeks tougher visa restrictions for Russian tourists.
• EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that the bloc’s 19th sanctions package against Russia may include restrictions on energy and financial services, alongside secondary sanctions.

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