EU Parliament calls for urgent measures against Hungary for easing entry for Russians
Photo: Manfred Weber, Chairman of the European People's Party in the European Parliament (flickr.com)
Hungary's recent decision to ease visa restrictions for Russian tourists is an open door for spies, and EU leaders should take urgent countermeasures, according to Manfred Weber, chairman of the European Parliament's largest party, the European People's Party.
According to him, the issuance of European visas would allow Russians who have not been vetted to travel freely throughout most of the EU and raises serious national security concerns.
Weber has sent a letter to European Council President Charles Michel asking him to raise the issue at the next leaders' summit in October.
This month, Hungary published details of a new fast-track visa system that allows citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, to enter Hungary without security checks or other restrictions. Budapest has said that many of them will build a nuclear power plant using Russian technology.
Weber believes that the need for a new immigration system in Hungary is questionable and warned that it could create serious loopholes for espionage activities and potentially allow large numbers of Russians to enter Hungary with minimal scrutiny, posing a serious risk to national security.
He said that such a policy could also make it easier for Russians to travel through the Schengen area, thereby bypassing restrictions under EU law.
He also called on the EU to take strict measures to protect the integrity of the Schengen area, reduce security risks, and prevent similar initiatives in the future.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán provoked a response from EU leaders after visiting Moscow for talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, allegedly to mediate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Although Hungary holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, leaders of other countries said that Orbán did not represent them on his trip. Many countries refused to send ministers to the meetings in Hungary, which were moved to Brussels.
EU national governments have the right to make decisions on migration and work permits. EU visa holders can move freely within the Schengen area, which includes 29 countries.
Sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine do not prohibit Russians from visiting the EU, but Russian airlines are banned from flying to the bloc, and hundreds of people associated with the Kremlin are subject to travel bans and asset freezes.
Earlier, Deutsche Welle reported that Hungary was beginning to simplify visa issuance for Russian and Belarusian citizens.
