Finland proposes to the EU to bring tourist visas into the scope of sanctions

Finland is in favor of adding tourist visas for Russian citizens to the scope of sanctions, as well as the introduction of an information exchange system on entry bans for Russians in the Schengen zone, reports Yle.

The request to include visas in the scope of sanctions was made at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. Helsinki also believes that all information regarding Russians who are not admitted by any country to the Schengen zone should be entered into the Schengen Information System (SIS) so that they cannot re-try to travel there through another state. With the entry ban information available in the SIS, that other country will also be able to ban entry immediately by referring to the database.

Where and how now Russians apply for a Schengen. Instruction Business

The HEAD of the consular service of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, Jussi Tanner, said that Finland considers it necessary to "act in accordance with the general line", but does not propose to cancel all Russian visas.

Yle writes that over 3,000 Russians crossed the border with Finland on September 19.

The Schengen area includes 26 states, 22 of which are members of the EU. At the moment, entry to Russians with Schengen visas has been banned by Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which have a land border with RUSSIA. Finland and Norway, also border countries, have not introduced such a restriction.

The issue of visa restrictions for Russians in the EU has not yet been unambiguously resolved. The countries agreed to cancel the visa facilitation from September 12, which led to an increase in the visa fee from €35 to €80 and an increase in the duration of visa processing, the introduction of the requirement to provide additional documents and tightening the rules for issuing them.

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UN Secretary General called visa restrictions for Russians not a good idea Politics

Other proposals for restrictions included the idea of ​​completely stopping the issuance of visas (the European Commission indicated that this was not possible under the visa code), the annulment of existing visas and a ban on entry (some countries have implemented this measure).

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the EU's steps regarding visas violate the principle of freedom of movement. The Kremlin warned that the restrictions would have negative consequences for both Russians and Europeans.