Finland names six options for restricting Russian tourism

Options include stopping visas, closing borders for passenger traffic, as well as following EU policy and harmonizing measures already at a general level. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned

The Finnish authorities are considering six options for restricting tourism from RUSSIA against the backdrop of a special operation in Ukraine, with reference to the HEAD of the consular department of the Foreign Ministry, Jussi Tanner, the Yle TV channel reported.

These are the following options:

a complete cessation of issuing visas for Russians. However, this, as Yle points out, is prohibited by EU laws and Schengen regulations; limiting the number of visa applications accepted . This option is easy to implement, but ineffective, since about 100,000 Russians already have valid tourist visas that will allow them to visit the country for several more years, the article says; allow entry into the country only for a good reason  - to visit close relatives, receive treatment, attend funerals and other important circumstances;

The main parties in Finland supported the refusal to issue visas to Russians Politics

cancel visas issued to Russians . However, this measure is also unlikely to be legal according to the norms of both Finland itself and the European Union, writes Yle; closing the border for passenger traffic . The authors of the article believe that this is “the only sure way”, but it is fraught with political consequences due to public outcry and may not be supported by politicians.

The sixth option, supported by the Finnish Foreign Ministry itself, is to follow the EU policy . “This issue [the issuance of tourist visas in Russia] should be coordinated at the level of the EU and the Schengen countries,” the acting official noted earlier. Prime Minister of Finland, Minister for EU Affairs and State Property Tytti Tuppurainen (Prime Minister Sanna Marin is on vacation).

The issue of stopping the issuance of tourist visas to Russians was raised this week by the main political parties in the Finnish parliament - the Social Democratic and Coalition parties, as well as True Finns and the Finland Center. “Russian shopping and holidays in Finland and through Finland in Europe rightly infuriate many. Suspension of tourist visas will be a justified measure, as Estonia did earlier,” said Riikka Purra, head of the True Finns.

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Proposals to ban the issuance of visas to Russians in the Finnish Parliament were made after the country lifted covid restrictions on entry for foreigners, and Russia , in turn, lifted restrictions on land borders. Through Finland, Russians can get to European countries: they cannot fly directly to the European Union, since since the end of February it has completely closed the sky for Russian aircraft.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that if Finland refuses to issue Schengen tourist visas to Russians, Moscow will take retaliatory measures. Such a move, prompted by "political motives", would "aggravate the confrontation in bilateral relations," said Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the agency.