The European Parliament voted not to recognize Russian passports issued in the occupied territories

The European Parliament decided not to accept passports and other documents issued by Russia in the illegally occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia.

This is reported by the press service of the European Parliament.

531 MEPs voted for it, 7 were against, 34 abstained.

The European Commission should consult with EU member states and draw up a list of Russian documents that will not be accepted.

However, refugees from Ukraine will still be able to enter the European Union for humanitarian reasons, the European Parliament noted.

• Russia pursues a policy of forced passporting of the population in the occupied territories. People who refuse Russian passports are restricted in their rights, are not hired, and may even be denied various social services or benefits.
• In Mariupol, which was temporarily captured by the Russians, all state employees were obliged to hand in their passports of Ukrainian citizens and obtain Russian ones by January 1. Today, more than 100,000 residents remain in Mariupol, and before the invasion, approximately 500,000 lived there.