Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania along with Poland reached an agreement earlier this month to limit visa issuance for the Schengen zone due to a “serious threat” to security posed by the influx of Russians. The Schengen zone includes 26 mainly EU countries that allow unrestricted movement within their borders. The travel ban means Russian citizens will not be able to enter four of the five European Union countries that share a land border with Russia. The fifth, Finland, decided to remain open to visa holders but reduced the number of consular appointments available for those wishing to travel to Europe. The new ban will exclude Russian dissidents, journalists, truck drivers, refugees as well as residents of EU countries and those visiting family members in Europe. The rule will also not apply to humanitarian cases, family members, holders of EU residence permits, diplomatic missions and other “legitimate exceptions”. In a joint statement released on September 8, the prime ministers of the four countries said that “travel to the European Union is a privilege, not a human right.” “Among Russian citizens entering the EU/Schengen area, there are individuals who come with the intention of undermining our countries’ security, to the extent that three-quarters of Russian citizens support Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine,” the statement said. . “Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia agreed that measures are being taken for the common reasons of protecting public order and internal security, as well as ensuring the overall security of our common Schengen area,” the statement said. Commenting earlier on the EU’s decision to suspend a visa deal with Moscow that makes it harder for Russian citizens to obtain Schengen visas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was “ridiculous” and would make life more complicated for Europeans as well.
