Czechia Bans Entry of Russians Without Biometric Passports, Denmark Follows Suit

Czechia has announced a ban on the entry of Russians without biometric passports, effectively prohibiting Russian citizens with such passports from staying in the country legally. Starting July 3, 2024, Czechia will no longer recognize non-biometric passports from the Russian Federation, according to recent reports.

Denmark has also approved the same measure. Following a recent meeting, an EU body urged other states to adopt similar measures, leading Denmark to implement the same step as Czechia. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky emphasized the necessity of this move to prevent potential Russian sabotage.

"Security is a priority for our government. We won’t wait for another act of sabotage. Anyone wanting to stay in our country must prove they are the person they claim to be. For Russians, a non-biometric passport, as used by the Vrbětice murderers, will no longer suffice," stated Lipavsky.

He further asserted that Russian citizens who wish to stay in Czechia must prove their trustworthiness. This decision comes in the wake of a 2014 incident where two people were killed in explosions at an ammunition depot in Vrbetica, a result of a Russian sabotage operation, which also caused tens of millions of dollars in damages. Media reports in 2021 suggested that the ammunition was to be transferred to Ukraine or to Syrian opposition forces fighting against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, an ally of Russia. However, the company owning the supplies disputed these claims.

Czechia’s attempts to halt the entry of Russians into the country have faced obstacles. In April, Minister Lipavsky reiterated the need to ban the movement of Russian diplomats within the Schengen area, citing the threat posed by Russian intelligence to the European Union. Around the same time, two Russian agents were arrested in Germany on espionage charges for allegedly sending information to Russia and planning attacks to sabotage support for Ukraine. Lipavsky expressed full support for Germany’s measures to prevent Russian terrorism on its territory.

Last fall, the Czech Republic proposed that Russian agents should no longer be allowed to travel freely within the Schengen area, but this proposal did not receive unanimous support from all Schengen member countries. The EU has also been called upon to consider imposing movement restrictions on Russian diplomats entering the Schengen area, and in 2022, the EU tightened some visa rules, no longer issuing Schengen visas to Russian diplomats under relaxed regulations.

By fLEXI tEAM