The European Union is finalizing plans to tighten visa regulations for hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists who travel to the countries of this union every year, in order to strengthen its defenses against hybrid attacks.
Pressure from European countries for stricter regulations
According to official information, the European Commission intends to present proposals in the new year after a group of countries, including Poland, Sweden, and Estonia, called for stricter visa regulations for Russians. This includes former fighters who have been present in the battlefields of Ukraine.
Last year, about 478,000 Schengen tourist visas were issued to Russian citizens, many of which were multiple-entry visas. This system is considered a threat to Europe in the current situation, where concerns about sabotage actions and hybrid wars supported by Moscow have increased.
Concerns about European security
Gunnar Strömmer, Sweden's Minister of Justice, said: "It is clear that we have vulnerabilities in our system that can be exploited by our enemies." According to him, the Commission is preparing a proposal that is expected to be presented in January of next year.
Strömmer welcomed the "progress" and "increasing support" for establishing a stricter visa regime. Other countries have also planned to raise this issue at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Monday and propose further restrictions on Russian diplomats in the European Union.
Estonia has specifically proposed a complete ban on access to the European Union for former soldiers of the Russian armed forces. Margus Tsahkna, Estonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that there are about 650,000 of these individuals and they should be banned individually.
He added: "Many of these former fighters may come to Europe with the support of Russian intelligence services and soon dominate our criminal organizations, being heavily armed and supported for committing terrorist attacks or attacks against our communities. This is a very serious issue."
Magnus Brunner, the Commissioner for Migration, noted that after an initial decrease in the number of Russian citizens receiving travel visas to the European Union, "this number no longer decreases" and called for action from member countries to reduce the number of visas granted to Russians.
In June, a group of ministers from nine European Union countries, along with Iceland and Norway, sent a letter to the Commission calling for a "coordinated and united approach" regarding visas for Russians. They emphasized that "restrictive visa policy for Russian citizens is essential to maintain the security and integrity of the Schengen area."
