The EU will not deprive Schengen of Russians who visited Crimea
Cancellation of visas for Russians who visited Crimea is “absolutely excluded,” the EU assured. This was the response to Kyiv’s initiative to transfer lists of “border violators” to the EU so that “these people would be deprived of Schengen visas.”
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A high-ranking EU official told Kommersant this in response to a request for comment on a recent statement by Oleksandr Liyev, former Minister of Resorts and Tourism of Crimea and now advisor to the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine.
A Ukrainian official in an interview with Radio Liberty said that Kyiv plans to transfer lists of “border violators” to the diplomatic missions of EU countries so that they “deprive these people of Schengen visas.”
The publication's interlocutor, commenting on this statement, expressed “extreme surprise” at this formulation of the question, the publication writes. He assured that the option in which Russians who visited Crimea would have their Schengen visas in their passports canceled is “absolutely excluded.”
Human rights activists have previously reported cases of Schengen visa denials to Russians visiting Crimea. In particular, Mikhail Anshakov, head of the Public Control Organization (OZPP), told RBC that the organization's lawyers had received several dozen complaints from Russians who had visited Crimea and subsequently been denied Schengen visas. He added, however, that foreign consulates do not explain the reasons for visa denials.
Later, EU Ambassador to Russia Vygaudas Ušackas explained that the problems with issuing Schengen visas in Russia are of a technical nature and have nothing to do with politics.
The EU will not deprive Russians who visited Crimea of their Schengen visas.