Brunner Says EU Cannot Completely Ban Visas on Russians
(MENAFN) The European Union is unable to compel all its member nations to cease issuing visas to Russian nationals, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner stated on Sunday.
During a press briefing alongside Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, Brunner was questioned about upcoming “guidelines” from Brussels urging member states to implement a total prohibition on category-C visas for Russian tourists.
“Visa is the competence of the member states, so there is no possibility for the EU to ever have a complete ban on that,” Brunner admitted.
He added, “We see some member states where the numbers are going up a bit, and that worries us.”
In 2022, Slovakia, together with Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland, suspended tourist visas for Russians. Slovakia later reinstated the issuance of Schengen visas earlier this year, after previously limiting them to Russians with family connections, work requirements, or diplomatic status.
At that time, current EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, then serving as Estonia’s foreign minister, advocated for a bloc-wide prohibition, stating on X, “Stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right.”
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