Topic: Migration and refugees
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Finland pushes EU-wide tourist visa ban for Russian citizens
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen is urging EU member states to co-sign a letter to the European Commission demanding a full ban on tourist Schengen visas for Russian citizens until Russia ends its war against Ukraine. The initiative, set out in five proposals, has drawn immediate public backing from Estonia.
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Ukrainian suspect in Nord Stream sabotage seeks asylum in Croatia to avoid extradition to Germany
Volodymyr Zhuravlov, a Ukrainian citizen suspected by German investigators of involvement in the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, has applied for political asylum in Croatia, his lawyer Mykola Katerynchuk said. The asylum request comes after a district court in Pula ruled to allow his extradition to Germany, a decision the defense is appealing. Zhuravlov justified the request by saying he would not receive a fair trial in Germany.
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Ukrainian citizen attacks Benedictine monastery in Poland, killing at least one priest
A 31-year-old Ukrainian citizen carried out a knife attack on the morning of 24 September at a Benedictine sisters' monastery in Jarosław, in southeastern Poland, killing at least one priest and injuring five other people. The attacker was detained at the scene. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk both responded, with Zelensky calling it a "horrible crime" and Tusk pledging full enforcement of Polish law.
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Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Kravchenko registered residence in Vienna after leaving Ukraine
Former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko and his wife Oleksandra registered their residence at an office address in central Vienna, according to Ukrainska Pravda, citing documents from Austria's Central Register of Residence. The registration followed Kravchenko's departure from Ukraine on 14 September, his suspension by President Zelensky the same evening, and the Verkhovna Rada's 317-vote acceptance of his dismissal on 15 September. Kravchenko remained abroad after his self-arranged business trip to Paris ended on 18 September and tendered his resignation on 21 September.
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Zelensky launches Carpathian Eight summit, meets youth from partner countries
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hosted the first summit of the Carpathian Eight (C8) in the Ivano-Frankivsk region on 19 September, launching a Carpathian integration initiative. The summit, which brought together representatives of Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia, Austria, and Serbia, included an economic forum featuring a joint investment portfolio of 95 projects worth roughly 40 billion euros. Zelensky also met with about 250 young participants in a Youth Congress, where discussions covered regional relations with Poland and Hungary, conditions for Ukrainians displaced by the war to return home, and housing support programs.
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Estonia ready to close border with Russia immediately if Moscow announces general mobilization, PM says
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated that Estonia is prepared to immediately close its border with Russia should Moscow announce general mobilization. The statement was made at a government press conference alongside Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and follows an Estonian government review of a scenario document on a possible Russian mobilization.
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Canada and Ukraine launch migration partnership, begin process to add Ukraine to eTA list
Canada and Ukraine announced a joint statement by Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Volodymyr Zelensky, unveiling a migration and mobility partnership to support Ukraine's recovery and starting the process of adding Ukraine to Canada's electronic travel authorization (eTA) list. The two countries also signed agreements totaling over 2 billion US dollars, including a Declaration on a 100-year partnership covering economic, security and political cooperation.
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Hungary says it will keep granting protection to Ukrainian military-age men, defying new EU rules
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that Hungary will continue to provide asylum or temporary protection to Ukrainian men of military age who flee to Hungary, primarily ethnic Hungarians from Transcarpathia (Zakarpattia), in defiance of new EU rules that restrict such protection for men with unresolved military-registration issues. Hungary had voted against the EU measure and, as of a 4 September European Commission briefing, had not formally notified Brussels in writing of its intent to deviate from the rules. The Commission said member states retain some discretion in applying the new framework, and is preparing operational guidelines for its practical implementation.
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Germany accuses Russia of Leipzig drone attack on Ukrainian cargo plane; two suspects identified
On 1 September Germany formally accused Russia of orchestrating the 4–5 August drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport targeting a Ukrainian An-124 cargo aircraft. Investigators have identified two suspects: a Russian-born man with a Latvian passport linked to Russian intelligence, and a Belarusian-Russian citizen who entered the EU on an Italian tourist visa. Berlin announced retaliatory measures, and EU foreign ministers meeting in Ireland discussed tightening visa rules for Russian nationals.