“The tourism category can be limited in terms of how many visas can be applied for in one day,” says Haavisto.
Since Russia lifted the travel restrictions after the corona pandemic this summer, the flow of Russian tourists to Finland has increased greatly. That Russian tourists go shopping in Finland at the same time as Russia is waging a brutal war in Ukraine has outraged both politicians and ordinary Finns.
Finland is also considered to have become a transit country for Russians who want to continue in Europe, as flights from Russia have been stopped by sanctions. However, Schengen rules and Finnish law do not allow Finland to completely stop issuing tourist visas to Russians.
The issue will also be raised at the next meeting with the EU’s foreign ministers, to coordinate the measures, Haavisto states.