The European Commission today proposed to partially suspend the visa agreement with Belarus. The PDA said the move was necessary after Minsk exerted migration pressure on the EU’s outer borders.

The Commission says it is prepared to propose similar measures in the future for countries that abuse immigrants. In the future, such cases are expected to have an impact on visa policy, bilateral trade and the provision of various support through the EU budget to the offending country.

The EC makes it clear that today’s proposal does not affect ordinary citizens, but only when the state representatives of Belarus travel officially. The EU Council will decide on the Commission’s proposal and, if approved, will inform Minsk 48 hours before the action is imposed.

The visa agreement with Minsk came into force a year ago, but since then Belarus has stopped accepting immigrants crossing its EU border. The controversy between Belarus and the European Union has deepened over the issue of the return of Ryanair’s plane and the detention of Roman Protestantism.

Belarus