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WORLD NEWS Thursday 1 sepTember 2022
EU to tighten travel rules for Russians, but no visa ban

By LORNE COOK and Latvia said that they
Associated Press may push ahead with fur-
PRAGUE (AP) — European ther visa restrictions, citing
Union countries agreed national security concerns.
Wednesday to make it “We need to immediately
harder for Russian citizens ramp up the price to Putin’s
to enter the 27-nation bloc, regime,” Estonian Foreign
but they failed to find a Minister Urmas Reinsalu told
consensus on imposing an reporters. “The loss of time is
outright tourist ban in re- paid by the blood of Ukrai-
sponse to Russia’s war on nians.”
Ukraine. Uniform rules are supposed
At talks in the Czech Re- to apply across the 26
public, EU foreign ministers countries that make up Eu-
were desperate to put on rope’s passport free travel
a show of unity and further area, but Reinsalu said that
punish President Vladimir “it’s our national compe-
Putin for launching the war tence, under the principle
over six months ago. Still, of national security, to de-
they couldn’t bridge dif- cide the issues of entry to
ferences over whether Rus- our soil.”
sian citizens, some of them Over the years, several
possibly opposed to the countries have reintro-
invasion, should also pay a duced border controls
price. Sweden’s Foreign Minister Ann Linde, center, speaks with European Union foreign policy chief for security reasons in the
The plan now is to make it Josep Borrell, second left, during a group photo of EU foreign ministers at the Prague Congress Schengen area, in which
more time-consuming and Center in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Others from left, Romania’s Foreign Europeans and visitors can
costly for Russian citizens Minister Bogdan Aurescu, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka travel freely without identi-
to obtain short-term visas Haavisto and Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. fication checks.
to enter Europe’s passport- Associated Press The foreign minister of Fin-
free travel zone a 26-coun- icy chief Josep Borrell said The move would have no the age of half measures. land, which shares the EU’s
try area made up of most that an increasing number immediate impact on the Half measures is exactly longest border with Russia,
of the EU members plus Ice- of Russians have been ar- estimated 12 million visas what led to the large-scale underlined that his country
land, Liechtenstein, Norway riving in Europe since mid- already issued to Russian invasion,” he said after would, as of Thursday, slash
and Switzerland known as July, some “for leisure and citizens, but EU officials will the meeting. “If I have to the number of visas being
the Schengen area. shopping as if no war is rag- look into what could be choose between half mea- delivered to Russian citizens
The move will be done by ing in Ukraine.” done to freeze them. sure and no measure, I will to 10% of normal.
freezing a 2007 agreement This, he said, “has become Ukrainian Foreign Minister prefer a no measure and They’ll only be able to ap-
to ease travel between a security risk” for European Dmytro Kuleba described continue a discussion until ply for the travel pass in four
Russia and Europe. The EU countries bordering Russia. the move as “a half mea- a strong solution is found.” Russian cities.
already tightened visa re- Borrell said said he believed sure.” He said that visas Calls have mounted from “It’s important that we
strictions on Russian officials the additional delays will should only be issued to Poland and the Baltic show that at the same
and businesspeople under result in fewer visas being Russians on humanitarian countries Estonia, Latvia time when Ukrainians are
the accord in May. issued. Students, journalists grounds or to help those and Lithuania but also suffering, normal tourism
Speaking after chairing the and those who fear for their who clearly oppose Putin’s Denmark for a broader shouldn’t continue business
meeting in the Czech capi- safety in Russia would still war. “The age of peace ban on Russian tourists. The as usual,” Foreign Minister
tal Prague, EU foreign pol- be able to acquire visas. in Europe is over, and so is foreign ministers of Estonia Pekka Haavisto said. q

European charity seeks safe port for 460 rescued migrants

MILAN (AP) — The SOS Med- “There is an overwhelming “All of these survivors need
iterranee charity is urgently number of medical cases, to be disembarked so they
seeking a port to safely un- including exhaustion, de- can have further health
load 460 people rescued hydration, generalized care away from the heat
from the sea in 10 different body pain, untreated in- and sun, which is compro-
operations last week who fections,” the charity said mising their health even fur-
are now packed onto its Wednesday. ther,’’ the nurse identified
Ocean Viking rescue ship. The European charity has as Rebecca said in a video
A nurse on board, identi- requested ports of safety in statement.
fied only as Rebecca, said Malta and Italy, but still has Those rescued are most-
the four-person medical not received a response. ly from Bangladesh and
team is overwhelmed with The migrants were rescued Egypt, and include 20
serious issues, including from Thursday to Saturday women and 80 minors, most
skin infections and chronic last week. Laurence Bond- of whom are unaccompa-
diseases. Six people have ard, an SOS Mediterranee nied, the charity said. All
been evacuated by the spokesperson, stressed but one of their smugglers’
Italian Coast Guard, includ- that the ship can only be boats departed from Libya, Migrants from Bangladesh sleep aboard the Ocean Viking, a
search and rescue ship run by NGOs SOS Mediterranee and the
ing two pregnant women “a temporary shelter. It is and survivors said they had International Federation of Red Cross (IFCR), Sunday, Aug 28,
in their ninth month along extremely difficult for the spent up to three days at 2022 while waiting for three days for the Italian government to
with a 3-week-old infant survivors to stay on deck, sea before being rescued, allocate a port to disembark.
girl. under stifling heat.” Bondard said.q Associated Press