Belgium: EU to tighten visa rules for Belarus officials over "facilitating migration"

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European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas said the EU was planning to tighten access to visas for Belarusian officials and diplomats, speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday.
The measure is set to be imposed in response to a migrant crisis on its eastern borders, which the EU says was facilitated by the government of President Alexander Lukashenko.
“We’re addressing a new worrisome form of smuggling, which is the increasing role of state actors in artificially creating and facilitating regular migration, using people as tools for political purposes. And here, I need to be unequivocally clear. Those who seek to test Europe’s unity by instrumentalising human suffering and migration will be disappointed,” said Schinas.
The commissioner stressed that the sanctions will target only Belarusian government officials and holders of diplomatic passports.

SOT, Margaritis Schinas, European Commissioner: “And for the first time now, here in this packets, we’re addressing a new worrisome form of smuggling, which is the increasing role of state actors in artificially creating and facilitating regular migration, using people as tools for political purposes. And here, I need to be unequivocally clear. Those who seek to test Europe’s unity by instrumentalising human suffering and migration will be disappointed. Our external borders are European borders and are a common responsibility. And in particular, the latest tactics by the Belarus regime against the EU and our member states require a united response. This is why today together with commissioner Johansson we’re proposing to partially suspend our visa facilitation agreement with Belarus. We will not punish the Belarusian people for the government’s actions. Instead, the suspension is targeted and will affect government officials and holders of diplomatic passports, but this is a strong signal and the signal that is crystal clear also for others.”

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