Russians with a Schengen visa issued by any EU country for the purpose of tourism, sports or culture will no longer be allowed to enter the Czech Republic from October 25.
Source. Details. According to the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Czech government made such a decision because of Russian missile attack on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine.
“In a situation where the Russian regime is bombing civilian objects, we cannot turn a blind eye to it,” Lipavski emphasized.
According to the ministry, about 200 Russians arrive at the international airport in Prague every day.
Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland introduced a similar ban earlier. Only Russian citizens visiting relatives, as well as dissidents, truck drivers and diplomats will be able to cross their borders. In addition, entry is possible for humanitarian reasons, but each such case will be considered individually.
On September 25, the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, said that the republic should accept Russians who are leaving due to mobilization. He disagreed with Lipavski, who believed that such circumstances did not meet the conditions for issuing a humanitarian visa.
In turn, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Peter Fial, announced that the country will treat those who want to avoid mobilization as all asylum seekers – the applications of such citizens will be considered “within the standard procedure.”
