Markus Lammert, a spokesperson for the European Commission, confirmed on 6 November that the European Commission has been preparing further restrictions on issuing Schengen visas to Russian citizens but has not given details.

Source: European Pravda

Quote: "Now I can confirm that we are looking into additional measures. We do this in close coordination with member states, but for any additional information, I would ask you to stay tuned on this."

Details: Answering a question about recent media reports that the EU plans to ban the issuance of multiple-entry Schengen visas to Russians, Lammert said, "We are aware of the media reports, however, we never comment on leaks."

Lammert recalled that in 2022 the European Union suspended the EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement.

Quote: "Also, as early as 2022, we adopted a clear set of guidelines to support member states to deprioritise visas for Russians and focus on security and border control. Now the Commission closely monitors the implementation of these guidelines and we are working with member states to promote their consistent implementation."

More details: Lammert noted that the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian citizens has fallen from over 4 million in 2019 to about 500,000 in 2023.

Background:

• Some reports have suggested that the EU wants to tighten visa rules for Russians by the end of the week.
• The EU has already made it harder for Russians to obtain visas by suspending the visa facilitation agreement with Russia at the end of 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• Several member states, including the Baltic states and Poland, have gone further by banning or severely restricting the entry of Russians.

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