Poland is developing concept of visa ban for Russians

Piotr Wawrzyk, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, said that the country authorities have been developing a concept that would let Poland not issue visas to Russian citizens, reports PAP, Poland's national news agency.

Wawrzyk clarified that Poland was joining Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, all of which have either introduced restrictions to issuing visas to Russians or are planning on introducing them. The vice minister noted that France, Netherlands, and Germany were also in favour of similar restrictions. 

Today, 14 August, Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle reported that the government of Finland would discuss restrictions on the issuance of tourist Schengen visas to Russians. Previously, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Pekka Haavisto, proposed to limit the acceptance of tourist Schengen visa applications from Russian citizens to one day per week. 

On Wednesday, 10 August, a Schengen visa issuance ban for Russians proposal was submitted to the European Union for discussion. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on all Western countries to announce a ban on Russian travellers. According to him, the sanctions already imposed on Russia are “weak” compared to a potential border closure for Russian citizens for one year and a complete embargo on purchasing Russia's energy resources. 

On Friday, 12 August, Zelensky said that Russian citizens, persecuted in Russia for political reasons, would be able to obtain refugee status or political asylum in Europe in case of a ban on Schengen visa issuance.