Tourexpi
EU Countries Grant Large Numbers of Tourist Visas to Russians Despite Sanctions
Major
EU countries such as France, Italy, and Spain continue to issue significant
numbers of tourist visas to Russian citizens, despite ongoing sanctions and
mounting concerns from eastern EU members about potential security threats
stemming from Russia’s war on Ukraine.
According
to EUobserver, more than 552,000 Schengen visas were granted to Russian
nationals in 2024—a 9% increase compared to 2023, as reported by Finland’s Iltalehti
daily.
Italy
issued over 152,000 visas, nearly 20,000 more than the previous year. In
contrast, several eastern EU countries—Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Poland, the Czech Republic, and Norway—have restricted or completely halted
tourist visas for Russians, citing security concerns.
Though
travelling to the EU remains expensive for many Russians—often requiring
transit through hubs like Istanbul or Dubai due to limited direct
flights—Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that Russian citizens
made nearly 30 million outbound trips in 2024, a 15% increase over 2023. The
most popular destinations included Türkiye, Egypt, the UAE, and Thailand.
Eastern
EU countries, especially those bordering Russia, warn that tourism may be
exploited for intelligence-gathering. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky
stated that Russian security services have a history of using the uncontrolled
movement of people—such as tourists—as part of their hybrid warfare strategy.
Nevertheless,
France has defended its visa policy, emphasizing the value of people-to-people
exchange. “We try to separate the Russian government from the Russian people
and civil society,” said a spokesperson from the French Foreign Ministry.
British
defense analyst Emily Ferris echoed this sentiment, arguing that it would be unfair
to punish ordinary Russians for decisions made by their leaders.
Image
Credit: © AA
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