The European Union has announced the suspension of granting visas to Belarusian officials in the wake of the migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarus border.
In the wake of the migrant crisis at the Polish-Belarus border, the European Council passed a resolution partially suspending the implementation of the visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and Belarus.
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“This decision came in response to the mixed attack launched by the Belarusian regime,” the Council of the European Union said in a statement.
The Belarusian authorities will not be able to take advantage of requests such as not requesting documents for visas.
It also issues multiple entry visas and reduces visa fees in accordance with the decision of the European Union.
Ordinary Belarusian citizens will continue to benefit from the terms of the previous visa facilitation agreement.
“We strongly condemn and reject the use of immigration as a tool by the Belarusian regime. It is unacceptable for Belarus to play people’s lives for political purposes.
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Today’s decision once again demonstrates our shared commitment to combating this ongoing hybrid attack.”
The visa facilitation agreement between the European Union and Belarus entered into force on July 1, 2020, in parallel with the readmission agreement between the European Union and Belarus.
Belarus announced on June 28, 2021, that it would discontinue the readmission agreement.
The fact that many illegal immigrants who wanted to go to European countries to Poland, a member of the European Union via Belarus, increased tension on the border between Belarus and Poland.
Thousands of illegal immigrants, including women and children, most of whom were said to be of Iraqi origin, began moving towards the border point to enter Poland from Belarus.
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Some migrants crossed the Belarusian border point without any interference and some advanced towards the forested area along the border.
Poland accuses Belarus of allowing irregular immigration, while Poland accuses it of interfering with migrants at the border using disproportionate force.
Tensions between the European Union and Belarus escalated after the presidential elections held in Belarus in August 2020, in which Alexander Lukashenko was declared the winner.
The European Union announced that it does not recognize the election result on the grounds that the elections were rigged in Belarus.
And the European Union imposes sanctions on this country, pointing out that there is pressure on the opposition in Belarus, except for rigging the elections.
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Sanctions, including those of President Alexander Lukashenko, include travel restrictions and asset freezes.
EU countries have also closed EU airspace to Belarusian airlines due to the landing of Ryanair passenger plane.
which made the May 23 Athens-Vilnius flight to Minsk, Belarus, due to a bomb threat, and detained Belarusian dissident Roman Protasevich on board.
The European Union accuses the Belarusian administration of bringing migrants from countries such as Iraq to the borders of the European Union.
Such as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia “using irregular immigration as a tool and trying to destabilize the Union in this way”.
