Nordic states urge EU to block Russian tourists, as visa approvals surge for second year in a row

Sweden, alongside 10 other European nations, has raised concerns over the recent rise in European visas granted to Russian citizens.

In a letter addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, the Baltic states, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark, as well as non-EU countries Norway and Iceland, slammed the practice of “visa shopping” by Russian tourists.

“It is deeply troubling to witness increasing numbers of Russian tourists enjoying leisure travel on European beaches and in European resorts while missiles and drones continue to strike civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” they said.

“A coherent and coordinated approach is essential not only for the credibility of our common foreign and security policy, but also for the effectiveness of the restrictive measures we have adopted,” they added.

“While Ukrainians are dying, Russians should not be vacationing on European beaches,” also said Estonian foreign affairs minister Margus Tsahkna.