1,500 foreigners refused entry into Ukraine in past year due to visits to annexed Crimea
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS) reported on January 13 that nearly 1,500 decisions were passed to deny entry to foreigners, among them more than 100 artists and cultural figures, over visits to the annexed Crimean territory.
According to the Service, approximately 2,300 administrative protocols were compiled under art.204-2 COA for violation of the order on entry and exit from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories in 2017.
Thirty individuals have violated the rules for crossing the border with the Crimea since the beginning of the year.
"One of the trespassers is a Russian citizen; she was stopped at Kyiv airport on January 12. She had planned to get to Ukraine by flight from Minsk, but during border control it was discovered that the woman had illegally visited the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea. The Russian citizen was refused entry into Ukraine for a period of 3 years and sent back on a return flight," said the SBGS.
The department included a reminder that if foreigners violate the rules for crossing the administrative border with Crimea, they will be prohibited from entering Ukraine and a decision will be made to ban them from entering the country.
"We draw the attention of citizens of Ukraine and other countries that violation of the order of entry into the territory of the occupied Crimea through checkpoints that have been closed by the Government of Ukraine [may lead to punishment] under criminal law (Art. 322-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) or administrative law (Art. 204-1 and Art. 204-2 of the COA), depending on the circumstances, " said the State Border Guard Service.