European Parliament votes for ban on entry on Russian passports issued in a number of regions

The European Parliament has voted to ban visas on Russian passports issued in Crimea and on the territory of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Report informs referring to TASS.

As many as 531 deputies voted for the proposal, 7 voted against it and 34 abstained.

In order to ensure a unified visa policy and a unified approach to the checks to which persons crossing external borders are subject, no Russian documents issued in the territory, or to persons residing in Russian-occupied regions or territories in Ukraine or in the breakaway territories of Georgia, should be accepted as valid documents that ensure the issuance of a visa and the crossing of external borders, reads the document supported by the European Parliament.

Exceptions should also be made for those who were underage or legally incompetent at the time the document was issued.

However, persons fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will still be able to enter the EU on humanitarian grounds, the press service of the European Parliament said.