Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

EU demands clampdown on issuing visas to Russian citizens

Finnish border guards on patrol, at the Vaalimaa border check point between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Sasu Makinen./Lehtikuva via AP) Finnish border guards on patrol, at the Vaalimaa border check point between Finland and Russia in Virolahti, Finland, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022. (Sasu Makinen./Lehtikuva via AP)
Share
BRUSSELS -

The European Union's top migration official on Friday urged the bloc's 27 nations to clamp down on issuing visas to Russian citizens amid heightened security concerns over Russian President Vladimir Putin's nuclear threats and his annexation of parts of Ukraine.

"This is clearly an escalation and that means also an escalation of the security threat towards the European Union," Migration Commissioner Ylva Johansson said.

She urged EU countries to enforce more stringent checks on Russian citizens and deny documents to anyone who might pose a threat.

Over 194,000 Russian citizens have fled to neighboring Georgia, Kazakhstan and Finland -- often by car, bicycle or on foot -- since Putin last week announced a partial mobilization of reservists to bolster his troops in Ukraine. In Russia, the vast majority of men under 65 are registered as reservists.

Johansson said EU authorities must stop short-term visa holders from Russia from renewing them 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 told reporters.

Johansson also said Russians who have fled the country should not be allowed to apply for visas abroad.

"They have to do that from their home country, Russia," she said, but underlined that they should be allowed in for humanitarian reasons, or other exceptional circumstances.

Johansson also urged countries to reassess whether already valid visas should have been issued. She said that none of the measures the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, is recommending would stop Russian citizens from applying for asylum in Europe.

"The right to have a short term visa into the EU is not a fundamental right. It's privilege. The right to apply for asylum is a fundamental right," Johansson said.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.