Latest news with #EUJusticeandHomeAffairsCouncil
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council of EU plans to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians for another three years
On 13 June, the Council of the European Union is expected to reach a political agreement on extending the temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens for another three years – until March 2027. Source: agenda of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting scheduled for 13 June, as reported by European Pravda Details: The EU Council will discuss extending temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens in the EU in connection with the war until March 2027, with the goal of reaching a political agreement on the matter. Final approval of the decision is expected in the coming weeks. In addition, ministers will discuss possible options for transitioning from temporary protection status to another type of status. Background: The European Commission recently stated it is preparing to extend temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2027. It will issue recommendations to member states regarding further steps, including the possibility of granting a new status to those who are employed or studying in the EU. The Council of the EU previously extended temporary protection for Ukrainians until March 2026. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Latvia urges EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens
Rihards Kozlovskis, Minister of Internal Affairs of Latvia, has called on European Union countries at a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels to completely stop issuing Schengen tourist visas to Russian citizens. Source: Minister of Internal Affairs of Latvia Details: Kozlovskis justified his initiative by stating that Russia is waging a "hybrid war" against Europe. He cited several examples of dangerous activities, including illegal border crossings, acts of sabotage, the use of drones and information warfare campaigns. Quote: "Under the current circumstances, we cannot continue business as usual. We must acknowledge that we are in a state of hybrid war. In Latvia, this affects the daily work of security authorities both at the border and within the country. We are facing both illegal border crossings and acts of sabotage, such as the arson of the Museum of the Occupation, drone border crossings, propaganda attempts to influence public opinion, etc. Therefore, I urge all member states to take this threat seriously. Our moral duty is to stop such services." Details: Following the European Commission data, 565,069 Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens in 2024, which is 25% more than in 2023. Meanwhile, 90% of these visas were for tourism purposes. The total share of visas issued to Russian citizens was 5.7% of all Schengen visas issued during the year. Kozlovskis reiterated that Latvia had stopped issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens in 2022, after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The country only issues visas for humanitarian reasons now. Similar measures were taken by Estonia, Lithuania, Poland and Czechia. Background: The National Security Committee of the Latvian Saeima has prepared a draft law that includes a ban on travel to Russia and Belarus for certain government employees. The ban on travel will also extend to transit through Russia and Belarus. On 20 February, members of the Saeima supported in the first reading a bill that prohibits Russian and Belarusian citizens or legal entities owned by them from purchasing real estate in the country. Latvia is also preparing changes to legislation that will prevent Russian and Belarusian citizens from holding leadership and other positions in critical infrastructure, which provide access to sensitive information. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
