PARIS, November 24. /TASS/. The European Parliament has voted in favor of a ban to issue visas to the holders of Russian passports that have been issued in Russia’s new regions, the Crimea, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, according to a broadcast of the session on the legislature’s website.

The proposal passed in a 531-7 vote, with 34 abstentions.

"In order to ensure a common visa policy and a common approach to checks to which persons crossing the external borders are subject, no Russian travel documents issued in or to persons resident in regions or territories in Ukraine which are occupied by Russia or breakaway territories in Georgia, should be accepted as valid travel documents for the purposes of issuing a visa and of crossing the external borders," the approved resolution stated.

But the resolution also called on member states to make an exception for persons "who were Russian citizens on the date on which the Russian travel documents started being issued" in the respective regions. Exceptions should also be made for "if a person was a minor or legally incapacitated person at the time of the issuance of such travel document."

The European Parliament’s press service said that, "However, those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will still be able to enter the EU on humanitarian grounds."

The proposal will now be submitted to the European Commission for consultations with EU member states and drawing up a list of Russian travel documents that won’t be accepted for the purposes of issuing visas.

The restrictions will enter into force after they have been adopted by the European Council and published in the Official Journal of the EU.