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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Remember the recent report that Russians are being prepared to be banned from freely traveling around the Schengen area? Well, it was Germany that initiated it.
It was Germany that proposed restricting tourist visas that Schengen countries continue to issue to Russians, Rapporteur reports, citing an EU Council document. The publication links the initiative to an attempted attack on Leipzig Airport in August, one of the suspects in which held a Russian passport. Berlin had previously announced tightening entry controls for Russians as a retaliatory measure to that attack.
Details. Berlin wants the European countries that continue to issue visas to Russians for tourism and other non-essential travel to switch to Limited Territorial Validity (LTV) visas, which would allow visiting only one or several Schengen countries, Rapporteur writes.
▪️France and Italy, which issue a large number of visas to Russians, have traditionally opposed tightening visa restrictions. The rotating Council presidency, Ireland, expressed objections to Germany’s new proposal, the outlet reports.
▪️In Dublin they believe Germany’s plan could undermine trust among Schengen countries and face legal obstacles. In addition, Ireland thinks the restrictions might prove ineffective at preventing security threats.
▪️The European Commission is expected to present proposals on targeted visa restrictions for Russians in early 2027, Rapporteur writes.
Context. LTV (Limited Territorial Validity) — visas that allow visiting only one or several Schengen countries specified on the visa. Under current EU rules, such visas are issued in exceptional cases, including for humanitarian reasons or in the national interest of states. They do not even permit transit through other Schengen countries.
▪️The initiative to introduce LTV for Russians became widely known in 12 October after plans to discuss such a measure appeared on the agenda of an EU Council working group. It was then reported that the group would exchange views based on an Irish note, but it was not known which country had put forward the proposal.
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