German Embassies Witness Increase in Visa Questions From Russians
Such comments, according to Reuters, came from the German Foreign Ministry on Friday, AtoZSerwisPlus.de reports.
“We can confirm a sharp increase in the number of enquiries sent to our foreign missions in the region, particularly by e-mail and telephone,” the source told Reuters.
Authorities in Germany previously reported that since partial mobilisation urged by Putin, German missions in Astana, Yerevan, Baku, Tbilisi and Minsk received thousands of requests for entry permits to Germany.
Due to the surge in the number of applications, the same Ministry announced that it is planning to increase the staff in the five cities. In addition, the source stressed that this was standard protocol in response to a surged workload.
Last month, the government of Germany announced that it is granting a larger number of residency permits to Russians who are persecuted for political reasons, following international law or for pressing humanitarian reasons.
In addition, previously authorities in Germany announced that they would facilitate the visa requirements for all Russian citizens who oppose the government of the Russian President. The announcement was confirmed by an interior ministry spokesperson.
Authorities in Germany announced that the country would ease the entry rules for all Russians who are being persecuted or threatened, stressing that recent changes can benefit journalists, scientists as well as social activists who are facing pressure from the Kremlin.
However, the EU Commission called on the EU countries to impose tighter security controls at their borders for Russian travellers reaching their countries. In addition, the Commission also called on the consulates of the Member States in Russia to assess the conditions under which Russians can benefit from Schengen visas in a restrictive and coordinated way.
In this regard, the Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, highlighted the importance of unity between the Member States to deal with the increased number of Russians entering the EU and Schengen Zone countries.
“The European Union is and will always remain a place of asylum. But this is now first and foremost a security issue: increased scrutiny on visa issuance and heightened border checks will ensure we protect ourselves and our unity,” he said.
When it comes to Russian citizens, authorities in EU countries share different opinions, and while some of them agree to impose stricter controls or impose entry bans, other countries oppose the idea.
