Canada applies visa restrictions on Czechs, dashing hopes of speedy
diplomatic solution
The Canadian government has announced that it will be reintroducing visa
restrictions on Czech citizens as of Tuesday. Czechs will have two days to
apply for entry visas upon arrival; later requests it seems will have to be
handled via the Canadian visa department in Vienna for the time being.
Canada lifted visa restrictions on the Czech Republic in 2007, and their
reinstatement has been an issue in recent months, with 1,720 Czechs of
Romany origin having applied for asylum status this year amid a rise in
ethnic tensions. 34 such applications have been approved.
Czech officials
had hoped to avoid a full-on visa requirement however, based on recent
diplomatic gestures made by the EU focused on dissuading such a move. The
Czech interim government stated shortly before the decision that any
introduction of visas would be met with a “proportionate and duly
self-confident response”, and Prime Minister Jan Fischer’s government has
convened a special session of parliament for Tuesday to discuss the matter.
Travel agencies have said that thousands of Czech citizens presently have
tickets to Canada purchased.
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The Canadian government has announced that it will be reintroducing visa
restrictions on Czech citizens as of Tuesday. Czechs will have two days to
apply for entry visas upon arrival; later requests it seems will have to be
handled via the Canadian visa department in Vienna for the time being.
Canada lifted visa restrictions on the Czech Republic in 2007, and their
reinstatement has been an issue in recent months, with 1,720 Czechs of
Romany origin having applied for asylum status this year amid a rise in
ethnic tensions. 34 such applications have been approved.
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