The European Parliament has approved the decision to reject passports and other travel documents issued by Russia in the regions it has occupied in Ukraine and Georgia, as confirmed by European Parliament’s press-representative in Latvia Jānis Krastiņš.
On 24 November, with 531 votes in favour, seven against and 34 abstaining the European Parliament passed the agreement with the Council of Europe – which consists of ministers of members states – to reject Russian travel documents if they were issued in Ukrainian regions and regions of Georgia considered separatist by the west. This decision will apply to document processing and issue of visas in the entire European Union.
According to the proposed solution, the European Commission will need to discuss with EU member states and put together a list of Russian passports and other documents that are not allowed to be accepted.
People fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will still be allowed to enter the EU for humanitarian reasons.
After the vote rapporteur Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, ES) said: «The European Parliament is committed to doing its utmost to continue exerting pressure on Russia through legal and political means to make sure Putin pays a high price for this illegal war and for the international crimes committed against Ukraine and its people.»
This decision will come into force on the next day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. Before this happens, however, the decision needs to be passed by the Council of Europe. Nearly all EU member states have already confirmed they do not accept Russian passports issued in occupied regions.
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