Orpo to propose ending Russian tourist visas in Europe

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo plans to ask European leaders to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens. He outlined the proposal on Yle’s Ykkösaamu programme on October 10.

Orpo intends to raise the measure at the European Council meeting next week. He linked the initiative to European security and concerns about possible Russian sabotage, arguing that those concerns were difficult to reconcile with allowing Russian tourists to travel freely.

His remarks describe a proposal for discussion. They do not themselves impose a European ban on tourist visas. At the time of the report, there was no complete ban at European Union level.

The initiative comes amid calls from Baltic and northern European countries for tougher visa restrictions. Russia’s foreign ministry has repeatedly criticised restrictions on its citizens as discrimination based on nationality. Any further measures will depend on decisions by European authorities.