Elites with known links to the Kremlin may be subject to exclusion from the UK in show of steadfast support for Ukraine on 3 year anniversary of invasion.
Elites linked to the Russian state can be excluded from entering the UK under new measures announced by the Home Secretary today.
Under the new measures, the government will expand the criteria for exclusion to cover Kremlin-linked elites. This will ensure that, while Russia remains an acute national security threat, elites linked to the Russian state can be prevented from entering the UK.
Those who could be barred from the UK include anyone who:
- provides significant support to the Russian state
- owes their significant status or wealth to the Russian state
- enjoy access to the highest levels of the Russian state
Kremlin-linked elites can pose a real and present danger to our way of life. They denounce our values in public while enjoying the benefits of the UK in private - benefits which they look to deprive Ukraine of through their support of Russia's war. They can act as tools for the Russian state, enabling the continuation and expansion of Russia's aggression.
The move will bolster both UK national interest and national security, one of the key priorities underpinning the government's Plan for Change, by blocking the physical access of those who undermine UK national security. These new measures will complement the UK's existing sanctions regime against Russian elites who are supporting Putin's war effort, which will remain in place as long as Russia threatens Ukraine's sovereignty.
The move follows continued action from the UK to respond to Russia's illegal war in Ukraine including through imposing extensive sanctions on elites linked to the Russian state, strengthening law enforcement capabilities through the National Crime Agency's (NCA's) Combatting Kleptocracy Cell and closing the legislative loopholes open to money laundering by criminal actors.
These measures also follow ramped up efforts to tackle Russian illicit finance through the NCA's Operation Destabilise, successfully disrupting 2 Russian money laundering networks which provided services to Russian oligarchs and helped fund Russian state espionage operations. The NCA-led action led to 84 arrests and over £20 million in illicit funds seized. This work continues and since the disruption, a further £1 million of cash has been seized and a further 6 arrests made.
This change builds on the UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership signed in January, which commits both countries to work together to tackle the malign influence of elites linked to the Russian state.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said:
Border security is national security, and we will use all the tools at our disposal to protect our country against the threat from Russia.
The measures announced today slam the door shut to the oligarchs who have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian people whilst bankrolling this illegal and unjustifiable war.
My message to Putin's friends in Moscow is simple: you are not welcome in the UK.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the UK's total military, economic and humanitarian support for Ukraine amounts to £12.8 billion. We remain committed to the provision of £3 billion of military support a year to put Ukraine in the strongest position possible.
Earlier this month, the Defence Secretary led the 50-nation strong Ukraine Defence Contact Group for the first time and announced a further £150 million firepower package for Ukraine, including drones, tanks and air defence systems.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
As we mark the third anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion, Putin is still waging a war he thought he would win in three days, because of fierce resistance from the Ukrainians. Our support for them is unshakeable.
I am proud of the UK's leadership and unity on Ukraine. Keeping the Ukrainians in their fight and as strong as possible at any negotiating table is critical not only for them, but for the security of the UK. These new measures send a powerful message that we will do what it takes to turn the tables on Putin's aggression.
