Ukrainians, Albanians and Russians were denied entry into the EU in 2022

2023-05-08 12:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukrainians, Albanians and Russians were denied entry into the EU in 2022

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The number of non-EU nationals refused entry to European countries reached 141,060 in 2022, and Ukrainian nationals represented the most affected nationality, as almost 21 percent (28,890) of all refusals were made to these nationals.

According to the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, the second and third nationality groups that have experienced the most rejections are Albanians and Russians, with 15,630 and 10,860 rejections respectively, while in total, rejections for these three nationality groups represent 40 percent of the total registered in 2022, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com

The main reasons for refusal of entry for Ukrainian citizens were prolonged stay in the area, more specifically, 27 percent of refusals were made on claims that a person stayed three months in a six-month period, while another 21 percent were subject to the lack of a visa or valid residence permit. Moreover, 20 percent of the refusals made to Ukrainian citizens were due to the lack of justifiable purpose and conditions of stay in the area.

Similar to last year, Ukrainian citizens remain subject to refusal to enter the EU, just like Albanians. Last year, the top three nationalities that suffered the most rejections were Ukrainians, Algerians and Albanians, in that order, while this year, Albanians have moved up one place and Russians have entered the top three of the list.

Some of the most common reasons why third-country nationals are denied entry to the EU include security risks, such as potential threats to public order and health, in addition to international relations and national security.

Last year, the Baltic states announced they would stop granting refugee status to Russian nationals fleeing troop mobilization. According to Urmas Reinsalu, Estonia's foreign minister, the refusal to fulfill the citizenship duty of Russia does not represent enough groups to receive protection in Estonia or anywhere else. Similarly, Latvia indicated that it would stop issuing humanitarian or other types of visas to Russian citizens for security reasons.

Furthermore, the countries where the highest number of rejections were registered during 2022 consist of Poland and Hungary, with respectively 23,330 and 15,780 of all rejections recorded here. About 42 percent of all rejections, representing 60,150 rejected entries, were registered in four main countries, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and Ireland./ CNA.al