Countries that constitute a “threat to international peace,” according to Home Office minister Baroness Williams, are being targeted for harsher visa sanctions.
In a speech to Parliament, the senior Tory said it would send Vladimir Putin a “strong signal” that he couldn’t wage a “monstrous” war against Ukraine and expect “business as usual.”
The Home Office will be able to delay down visa applications, impose a £190 penalty, or even deny people entry clearance entirely under the new powers.
‘The administration is very keen to exercise these capabilities in relation to Russia,’ Lady Williams added.
‘While we do not believe this war was waged in the name of the Russian people, we feel that penalizing Russian nationals in this way as part of our broader sanctions package would add to the pressure on the Putin administration.’
Existing border authorities are limited to performing further checks on applications when an immigration risk is suspected, according to the House of Lords.
‘Currently, there are limited powers to apply penalties to applications for entrance clearance under existing legislation,’ Lady Williams said when pressed by peers over why visas couldn’t be refused already.
BREAKING: I have made it a criminal offence for ANY Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace and now HMG can detain these jets. We will suffocate Putin's cronies’ ability to continue living as normal while thousands of innocent people die. pic.twitter.com/cYjreNSYRz
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 8, 2022
‘It might be possible to apply extra checks if a certain nationality is considered to impose an immigration risk, which could lead to a slowing down of visa processing.
‘However, that is far as penalties can reasonably go under current powers.’
Private and commercial Russian planes are now banned from entering Britain’s airspace under new aviation sanctions announced by the Transport Secretary to ‘suffocate Putin’s cronies’.
Russian aircrafts that stray into the UK will now be committing a criminal offence and could be seized.
In a letter to all airports and airfields in the country, Grant Shapps said: ‘The aviation sector is fundamental to connectivity and international trade we must play our part in restricting Russia’s economic interests and holding the Russian government to account.
‘In these circumstances the Department for Transport does not consider it appropriate for Russian aircraft to enter UK airspace or land at UK airports.’
According to the letter, air traffic control can now issue directions to a pilot or an operator of a Russian plane not to enter the UK, or to leave by a certain route.
Mr Shapps added he also has the power to order airport operators to detain a Russian plane or move it to a different airport.
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