The Portuguese parliament has approved a bill to create a humanitarian visa, the local newspaper Correio da Manhã reports.
The document is reported to allow people who are persecuted in their home countries to obtain a special visa to Portugal in order to apply for political asylum there. Currently, this can be done on a tourist visa, which must be obtained in the country of citizenship or in another country if you have a residence permit.
The procedure for issuing humanitarian visas will now be developed by the parliamentary committee on constitutional issues. The Liberal Initiative party, which drafted the bill, wants to ensure that a humanitarian visa can be obtained at the Portuguese embassy in any country, rather than going home “with all the risks that come with it.”
It is noted that Russians who are being persecuted for “political reasons” will be able to count on the visa, in particular, according to Portuguese deputies.
