Dailes Theatre director comments on Russian political refugees

Europe, Latvia included, should improve the criteria based on which people from Russia are declared political refugees instead of merely closing down borders, said Dailes Theatre director Juris Žagars in an interview to TV3.
He said many Russian political refugees are artists. «The question is: what do we think of them?» If Russian artists and performers condemned the war and were forced to leave the country because of it, we should evaluate such situations to some degree, said Dailes director.
According to him, if Europe doesn’t give these people visas, it could make artists stop condemning the war, because condemning the war and staying in Russia is impossible.
Žagars said the «corridor should be expanded» and criteria which Europe uses to define political refugees should be improved, so that people are able to enter EU, live and work there.
I believe Europe and the countries on its very borders should develop criteria in accordance with which people who believe differently than the ruling regime in Russia could be accepted, added Žagars.
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