Russian embassy slams proposed US visa restrictions for ...

WASHINGTON, October 27. /TASS/. The measures proposed by way of the united states branch of homeland safety on tightening visa issuance procedures for foreign journalists are the unjustified complication of bureaucratic procedures and the advent of artificial limitations for their standard work, the Russian Embassy in the united states stated a comment on the proposed restrictions.

"The novelties proposed by using the branch of place of birth safety (DHS) as a way to revise "I" visa issuance methods vastly complicate the knowledgeable tasks of foreign journalists within the u.s.," the Russian diplomatic mission noted. "In certain, the obstacle of the duration of reside for international media personnel to 240 days (with the possibility of extension as much as 480 days) will no longer permit them to normally cowl local routine," the diplomats mentioned. Journalists "will ought to leave the U.S. for a considerable time to achieve a new visa," the diplomatic mission stressed out.

"The unjustified complication of bureaucratic tactics and the introduction of synthetic barriers for the ordinary work of international journalists don't correspond with the ideas of freedom of speech and equal entry to tips," the Embassy spoke of. "The reasons for implementation of such selections are additionally not clear, which makes it unimaginable to determine their purposeful value."

furthermore, "based on the precept of reciprocity in overseas members of the family, the measures proposed by way of the DHS could negatively have an effect on the work of yank reporters abroad," the diplomats noted.

Russia proceeds from the premise that "the existing rules featuring for the opportunity for media representatives to carry out their professional actions after the expiration of "I" visas (unless leaving the USA) are in the superior pursuits of all events involved," they referred to.

In September, the DHS proposed to alternate the guidelines of issuing US visas for overseas journalists, college students and change visitors with the aid of limiting their live within the country to a certain period. The notion became submitted for discussion and no viable date of the introduction of this new rule turned into introduced. in line with the DHS, this must be carried out so as "to reduce fraud and raise country wide security.".