“The European Commission has expressed concern that Hungary continues to issue permanent residence permits to Russians under simplified procedures, and Serbia has further increased the issuance of citizenships to Russians, despite calls to curtail such practices, a Radio Liberty correspondent in Brussels reports. “The European Commission is concerned that, according to the latest information, Hungary is still issuing national cards to Russian citizens in accordance with its national rules,” European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said during a briefing in Brussels in response to RFE/RL’s questions about the latest assessment of the situation. In the summer of 2022, Hungary simplified the issuance of work and residence visas for citizens of a number of countries, including Russia and Belarus. The European Commission then called this decision an undermining of the security of the visa-free Schengen area. And the leader of the largest political bloc of the European Union (the European People’s Party), Manfred Weber, insisted that such a move by Hungary could open the door for spies. The spokesperson of the European Commission assured that the European Commission continues to monitor the situation regarding Hungary and reminded that “Russian aggression against Ukraine continues to pose a threat to the security of the European Union.” Regarding Serbia, the European Commission called on the government of this country, which is not part of the EU, but uses visa-free access to the Schengen zone, to more carefully check Russians’ applications for Serbian citizenship for security issues. “Granting visa-free entry to the EU to citizens of Russia by granting them Serbian citizenship creates potential risks for EU security,” the European Commission’s report on Serbia’s progress on its path to the EU states. From 2022 to March 2025, the authorities of Serbia in a special order granted citizenship to more than 200 citizens of Russia – allegedly for “services to the country”, “Important Stories” found out. Among them were a special agent of the FSB, a close friend of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Mykola Patrushev, employees of enterprises that produce nuclear weapons, close to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as dozens of other people connected with the Russian security forces and the defense-industrial complex. An official of the European Commission unofficially informed Radio Svoboda that similar recommendations for Serbia with a call to limit such practices were also made in last year’s report, but since then their number has only increased.”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
“The European Commission is concerned that, according to the latest information, Hungary is still issuing national cards to Russian citizens in accordance with its national rules,” European Commission spokesman Markus Lammert said during a briefing in Brussels in response to RFE/RL’s questions about the latest assessment of the situation.
In the summer of 2022, Hungary simplified the issuance of work and residence visas for citizens of a number of countries, including Russia and Belarus. The European Commission then called this decision an undermining of the security of the visa-free Schengen area. And the leader of the largest political bloc of the European Union (the European People’s Party), Manfred Weber, insisted that such a move by Hungary could open the door for spies.
The spokesperson of the European Commission assured that the European Commission continues to monitor the situation regarding Hungary and reminded that “Russian aggression against Ukraine continues to pose a threat to the security of the European Union.”
Regarding Serbia, the European Commission called on the government of this country, which is not part of the EU, but uses visa-free access to the Schengen zone, to more carefully check Russians’ applications for Serbian citizenship for security issues.
“Granting visa-free entry to the EU to citizens of Russia by granting them Serbian citizenship creates potential risks for EU security,” the European Commission’s report on Serbia’s progress on its path to the EU states.
From 2022 to March 2025, the authorities of Serbia in a special order granted citizenship to more than 200 citizens of Russia – allegedly for “services to the country”, “Important Stories” found out. Among them were a special agent of the FSB, a close friend of the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Mykola Patrushev, employees of enterprises that produce nuclear weapons, close to the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, as well as dozens of other people connected with the Russian security forces and the defense-industrial complex.
An official of the European Commission unofficially informed Radio Svoboda that similar recommendations for Serbia with a call to limit such practices were also made in last year’s report, but since then their number has only increased.