Russia, Portugal to sign protocol to readmission accord
MOSCOW. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russian and Portuguese officials are meeting in Moscow on Friday to sign an enforcement protocol to the readmission agreement between the European Union and Russia.
"Portugal will be the last remaining country for the Russian Federation to sign an enforcement protocol with," a Russian Federal Migration Service spokesman told Interfax on Thursday.
The readmission agreement, which took effect in 2007 and is one of the conditions for a planned visa-free regime between the EU and Russia, authorizes EU countries to repatriate Russians who have stayed in the EU longer than allowed and send nationals of other countries back to Russia who have entered the EU from Russia and have also blown temporary residence deadlines.
In December, the FMS said that since the agreement came into force, Russia has received more than 8,000 requests from the EU to accept individuals who were being expelled and has satisfied more than 60% of them.
