Visa requirements simplified for entry to Slovenia and Croatia
Starting July 10, Ukrainian citizens may cross Slovenian territory in transit without a transit visa if they hold a valid Schengen visa or a visa from an EU country in their passport. This was announced at a briefing in Kyiv by the head of the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Vasyl Fylypchuk. According to him, the new rules are changing in accordance with the norms of the European Parliament regulation on simplifying controls at the external borders of the European Union.
In accordance with these rules, from July 10, citizens of third countries, including Ukrainian citizens, may transit through Slovenian territory without a transit visa if these citizens hold a valid Schengen visa or a visa from new EU member states (types B, C, G, C+D), a valid residence permit in Schengen Agreement countries or new EU members, or a valid residence permit in Switzerland or Liechtenstein.
Vasyl Fylypchuk also reminded that starting July 23 of this year, the agreement on the conditions of mutual travel of citizens between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of Croatia, signed last year, comes into force. According to him, the agreement provides for a visa-free regime for holders of diplomatic and service passports, seafarer passports, crew members of aircraft and rescue services. The agreement also provides for an increase in the validity of multiple-entry visas to up to five years without charging a consular fee for family members of persons permanently residing in the territories of the parties and other categories of citizens.
To obtain a Croatian visa from July 23, presenting an invitation is no longer mandatory, and the procedure for issuing visas to citizens entering Croatia for tourist purposes is also simplified. At the same time, the new agreement abolishes visa fees for students, pupils, participants in intergovernmental cultural exchange programs, scientific, cultural and educational workers, participants in exchange programs between twin cities, and participants in international sports competitions.
Counterfeiting Schengen visas led to prison
The Bila Tserkva city district court (Kyiv region) sentenced members of a criminal group engaged in the illegal smuggling of Ukrainian citizens to Western Europe using forged Schengen visas.
According to the press service of the SBU directorate in the Kyiv region, the organizers of the criminal business are three residents of the city of Bila Tserkva. The members of the criminal group sought clients and issued fake passports with Schengen visas. This cost on average €700-850. The investigation was conducted by the investigative department of the SBU directorate in the Kyiv region.
On the grounds of offenses provided for in Articles 332 and 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organizing illegal smuggling of persons across the state border and use of forged documents), the organizers of the criminal business were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment.
American police may be banned from arresting illegal immigrants
The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would bar police from arresting foreigners if they have violated U.S. immigration law by overstaying a visa or failing to file the appropriate documents, The Washington Times writes.
Under the provisions of the legislative act, police would be able to arrest people who are not U.S. citizens only if they violate that part of immigration law concerning document forgery or entering into sham marriages to obtain residency.
Immigrant tracking in the United States is carried out by the Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC), which also contains information about violations of U.S. laws committed by foreigners.
Police can submit a request to this organization if they want to find out about a person's immigration status. After the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, the number of requests to LESC reaches up to half a million annually. Senators propose making greater use of the Center's capabilities.
According to senators from the Republican Party, this law undermines U.S. national security. It not only leaves illegal migrants unpunished but also worsens interaction between police and immigration control units. "This is a time bomb that may cause a lot of trouble sooner or later," they said.
European Commission approves reduction of roaming tariffs
The European Commission has approved a draft EU directive providing for the possibility of reducing tariffs on international roaming services by up to 70% (maximum 70%) in the member states of this regional organization.
"This step is driven by the need to eliminate all unjustifiably high roaming charges," said European Commissioner for Information Society and Media Viviane Reding at a press conference in Brussels.
Reding initiated the development of a document establishing uniform principles for calculating charges for international roaming services, which are regularly used by 147 million people in EU countries. Now the draft EU directive is to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers of the EU. If the document is approved by them, it could come into force by the summer of 2007.
EU leaders during the summit on March 23-24 in Brussels spoke in support of the idea of reducing roaming tariffs within the organization. Roaming prices in EU countries currently vary significantly. For example, the cost of a four-minute call from Sweden to home for a Finnish citizen is 20 euro cents, while for a Maltese citizen calling home from Latvia it is €13.05.
According to the draft EU directive developed under Reding's leadership, incoming calls in the international roaming system are supposed to be made free of charge.
In Spain, speeding will lead to prison
The Spanish government has approved a draft reform of the Criminal Code, which provides, in particular, for imprisonment for speeding. As stated in the official communiqué of the Cabinet of Ministers, “from now on, drivers who exceed the maximum permitted speed by 40 kilometers per hour on an urban road and by 70 kilometers on a highway may be subject to imprisonment.”
“Driving while intoxicated and driving without a license or with an expired license are henceforth considered crimes punishable by imprisonment,” the statement says.
According to the calculations of the Royal Automobile Association of Spain, on the basis of the new provision of the Criminal Code, 60,000 Spanish drivers may be jailed per year. It is exactly this number of Spaniards who commit these violations.
The Criminal Code reform also toughens penalties for terrorism, participation in organized criminal groups, arms trafficking, money laundering, and crimes on the Internet.