EC RECOMMENDS EU COUNTRIES NOT TO PUNISH PERSONS WHO EXCEEDED TERMS OF STAY IN THE SCHENGEN AREA

The European Commission recommended that the European Union states to refrain from punishing persons, who exceeded the permitted number of days of stay in the Schengen Area (90 days) in connection with the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the EC decision, published on Tuesday, the EU member countries were proposed to provide long-term national visas or temporary residency permits to these citizens. This concerns citizens, who benefit from visa-free regime with the EU and which exceeded the allowed time of stay in the Schengen Area (90 days during 6 months) due to the introduced restrictions on movement and the suspension of air communication.

Besides, the European Commission recommends to refrain from applying fines and other administrative penalties in such cases and not to take into account these cases at considering the future applications for visa.

Such a decision was awaited by citizens of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, who benefit from visa-free regime with the EU countries. Many of them got into difficult situation, as the term of their stay in EU area is ending while they cannot get back home. Due to this, several scandals occurred in recent days in connection with the fact that Moldovan migrants are trying at all costs to come back to their home countries not to violate the EU legislation on the terms of stay in the Schengen area.