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.
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