Estonia wants to abolish visa-free travel with Ukraine so that “Russian homo-Sovietists” do not come
Interior Minister Mart Helme ordered an investigation into whether it is possible to cancel the visa-free regime for Ukrainian citizens who come to Estonia en masse.
This was reported by the Estonian publication ERR.
“EKRE leaders assumed in advance that as soon as Ukraine received a visa-free regime with the EU, it would become a Trojan horse. A Trojan horse for Russia as well, because those who come here are not so much Ukrainians as Russians from the east of Ukraine, Russified Ukrainians or simply homo-Soviet. This migration pressure from the east is very strong on us, and it continues to intensify,” Mart Helme was quoted as saying in the message.
Helme believes that it will not be possible to completely cancel migration, but Estonia should be able to decide who, in what quantity, for how long and under what conditions to be admitted.
He intends to present relevant legislative initiatives to the Riigikogu this fall.
“Even Russian President Vladimir Putin did not call Ukraine a Trojan horse for Europe. Now a member of the Estonian government has done it,” Vice-Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikog Marko Mihkelson commented on Helme’s statement, and also noted that “Estonia always gains more from the system of visa-free relations than it loses. Ukraine is not an illegal immigration problem. Let’s not forget that Ukraine is also fighting for us against Russian aggression. Over the past 24 hours, six Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded at the front.”
Currently, citizens of Ukraine have the right to enter Estonia on the basis of the visa freedom agreement in force between the EU and Ukraine.
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