Helsinki announced on Friday its intention to completely ban Russian tourists from entering the country, even if they have visas, saying they could cause “serious damage to Finland’s international standing”.
The measure, which will come into force “as soon as possible”, was agreed today by Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and the Finnish Government’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, in response to the growing influx of Russian citizens, following the mobilization decree of reservists for the war in Ukraine announced by Vladimir Putin.
“All tourists will be prevented from crossing the border. This applies both to those who travel with Schengen visas previously issued by Finland and those who travel with Schengen visas issued by other countries,” said the Finnish Foreign Minister, Pekka Haavisto, in Press conference.
According to Haavisto, the new restrictions will begin to apply, probably from next week, as soon as the technical and legal preparation of the measure is completed.
The head of Finnish diplomacy also clarified that the veto will not affect Russian citizens who arrive in the country for family, professional, school or humanitarian reasons.
Finland joins the three Baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and Poland, which have applied similar measures since Monday, alleging that the entry of Russian tourists into their countries could endanger national security.
Finland, which shares the longest border in the European Union with Russia (1,340 kilometers), is today the only country in the European bloc that accepts the entry of Russian citizens with visas issued by its own consular services or by any other country in the European Union. Schengen zone. .
Finnish authorities unsuccessfully tried to get the European Union to agree to ban the granting of tourist visas to Russian citizens, but the lack of agreement turned the country into a major gateway for Russians to the European Community.
With air and rail connections severed by European sanctions against Moscow, thousands of Russians continue to arrive in Finland every day, most through the country’s four southeastern border crossings at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that 300,000 reservists would be mobilized to fight in Ukraine prompted an immediate increase in border traffic to Finland.
That same day, 4,403 Russian citizens crossed the southeastern border, normally the busiest, due to its proximity to St. % more than in the same period of the previous week.
Source: TSF
