On August 31, 2022, it became known that Eastern EU countries bordering Russia are threatening to take “national measures” to reduce the number of Russian citizens entering their countries and the Schengen area unless the EU agrees on a collective approach.
Source: Joint statement of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland and Estonia
Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania demand that the European Commission propose “appropriate visa measures” that will “decisively reduce the flow of Russian citizens to the European Union and the Schengen area.”
“Until such measures are in place on the EU level, we will consider setting up temporary measures on the national level in order to address imminent public security issues related to the increased influx of Russian citizens across our borders.”
“It is our national competence under the principle of national security to decide the issues of entry to our soil,” Estonian foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu added at the meeting.
It is noted that about 700,000 Russians have entered five countries since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in late February. Most of them are tourists who use the border countries as a gateway for a holiday trip to the western EU countries.
“We believe that this could become a serious threat to public security,” the five countries said in a joint statement, which also emphasized the need to maintain “exceptions for dissidents, as well as other humanitarian cases.”
With no consensus on the visa ban for Russians, the foreign ministers will use a meeting in Prague to agree to suspend a 2007 visa facilitation agreement with Moscow that would make Russian visas more expensive, require more supporting documents and lead to longer waiting times.
Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said that this suspension will be a “necessary first step” but would not stop them from seeking stricter measures to reduce the number of Russian citizens entering their countries.
See also: 7 EU countries called for new sanctions against Russia, including visa sanctions
