Sweden Urges Stricter EU Tourist Visa Rules for Russians During Ukraine Conflict
Sweden Calls for Tighter EU Visa Restrictions Amid Ongoing War
By Amina Ismail
Sweden's Appeal to the European Commission
LUXEMBOURG, June 4 (Reuters) - Sweden's migration minister urged the European Commission on Thursday to tighten rules on tourist visas for Russians, saying it was "insane" that many Russians are enjoying European holidays while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield.
Joint Letter from EU Member States
Sweden and 10 other countries sent a letter on Wednesday to European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and migration commissioner Magnus Brunner saying the number of tourist visas issued to Russians had risen despite Russia's war in Ukraine.
Concerns Over Security and Sanctions
They urged the Commission, the EU executive body, to urgently tighten and harmonise restrictions, and said uneven rules risked undermining security and sanctions policy on Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian Response and Schengen Visa Details
The Russian government did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Russian officials say European countries are gripped by anti-Russian hysteria and accuse them of being openly racist against Russians.
Russians who have what is known as a Schengen visa can travel freely in the so-called Schengen area, a group of 25 EU member states and four other countries.
Rising Number of Visas Issued
According to data cited in Wednesday's letter, which was seen by Reuters, 477,878 Schengen visas were issued to Russian citizens for tourism in 2025, up from 440,558 in 2024.
Swedish Minister's Statement
"I think it’s insane, frankly speaking, that we are seeing hundreds of thousands of Russian tourists coming to Europe, enjoying sunshine," Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell told Reuters while attending an EU justice and home affairs meeting in Luxembourg.
"They are having weekend shopping trips, drinking rosé wine, while at the same time Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield.”
Ongoing Conflict and International Response
Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians, but there have been many civilian casualties as Russian airstrikes pound Ukraine and Ukrainian drone strikes reach increasingly deep into Russia.
Countries Supporting Stricter Visa Measures
The letter to Kallas and Brunner was signed by ministers from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland.
(Reporting by Amina Ismail, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
