Persona non grata - what does this mean?

Each state has the right to allow or prohibit the entry into its territory of any foreign nationals. And the one whose stay in the country is prohibited is undesirable, bears the title "persona non grata". What this phrase means for diplomats and ordinary people, we will discuss in our article.

What is the persona non grata according to the Vienna Convention

To resolve this issue, international rules were created, they were first applied primarily to representatives of the diplomatic corps. Thus, according to Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, any state can declare a diplomat persona non grata at any time without explaining the reasons. A person who has learned about his new status is forced to leave the country within the specified time limits, otherwise the state refuses to recognize him as an employee of the mission. And if the departure time is violated, it has the right to resort to declaring this diplomat as a private person.

This punishment was invented as a means of influencing suspected espionage, as a sign of protest towards the state represented by this person, or disagreement with any diplomatic statements.

As an ordinary citizen finds out that he is persona non grata

That this punishment befalls him, an ordinary visitor, by the way, usually finds out only when he is in the country and passes passport control, as the lists of people who fall under the status of "undesirable guest" are usually closed.

Most often such measures are connected with public criticism of the government or state bodies of the visited country or disrespect for its customs and laws, in which this visitor was seen.

How it looks in Russia

Every now and then, in the domestic press, there are notes on how an employee of a foreign embassy is detained on charges of espionage or recruitment. But the ban on entry to Russia can also be announced to persons suspected of insulting the state symbols (as it happened with the rock band Bloodhound Gang), subversive activities in the territory of the state (the case of American journalist David Sutter), committing offenses or Falsification of documents allowing residence in the territory of the Russian Federation.

Non grata persona in Russia, as a rule, are handed over to official representatives of the embassy of their country and sent outside the state without the right to enter it from 3 to 10 years. But there are cases of cancellation of status by a decision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In ordinary life, too, there is a persona non grata

That this phrase has successfully taken root not only as a diplomatic term, but also in ordinary speech, can be judged by the frequency of its use in virtually all spheres of life.

Now this is called any unwanted guest or someone with whom they do not want to maintain a relationship. A person who is offended or does not like for some reason, journalists generously reward such a definition. No less inclined to him are critics and publicists: how many politicians, writers, actors, and simply famous people were declared undesirable anywhere! And the title sounds tempting and intriguing: "Persona non grata"! What is it? And, most importantly, for what? The reader will immediately take note of the note.

It remains to wish everyone does not fall under such a status!