The European Union is now looking into the possibility of imposing visa restrictions for Russian tourists, Swedish Minister of Migration Johan Forsell said, amid a meeting of the Ministers of Internal Affairs and Justice of the EU countries.
Forssell, backed by Poland, Finland and Estonia, said the bloc is looking for new opportunities to say no to Russians, according to Suspilne media.
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“It is very good that the Swedes also took this initiative,” Deputy State Secretary of Poland’s Internal Affairs Maciej Duschchyczyk said, adding that Poland is also joining this topic to “put an end to such dualism.”
Forssell called the situation “completely crazy,” insisting that it must be stopped.
“Around 500,000 Russian tourists entered Europe last year” Forsell said, adding that there should be no more luxurious trips and shopping weekends for Russians while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield.
And Ukrainians are not only dying on the battlefield – Russian strikes have targeting civilian infrastructures, with a rising number of children killed.
Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the number of tourist visas issued to Russians is “completely unacceptable,” while the Kremlin continues its full-scale war on Ukraine.
Highlighting the security risk of Russian fighters entering the Schengen area, Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said Estonia has already blacklisted more than 2,000 individuals, pushing for an EU-level, long-term solution.
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These calls build on a June 3 letter from 11 EU countries to the European Commission demanding an urgent halt to Schengen tourist visas for Russians, noting that at least 477,000 such visas were issued in 2025, mainly by France, Italy, Greece and Spain.