‘The Russians have started coming’: Finland considers tourist visa ban

The Finnish authorities is coming below rising public and political stress to shut the EU’s japanese border with Russia, and put a cease to an obvious sanctions loophole.

Russia relaxed its COVID-related border restrictions mid-July, which means for the primary time since earlier than the pandemic, Russians with Schengen visas can now legally cross the border by bus or automotive, despite the fact that they’re banned from travelling to the EU in planes and trains. 

“The Russians have began coming,” mentioned Juho Pesonen, Professor of Tourism Enterprise on the College of Jap Finland. 

“Purchasing tourism has all the time been one of many primary explanation why Russian vacationers come to Finland, even when it is only for a day,” he advised Euronews. 

Absolutely the numbers now usually are not large: Thus far in July there’s been round 176,000 border crossings. That is a lot decrease than earlier than the pandemic when there have been near 950,000 crossings in July 2019, with tens of hundreds of Russians coming every day. 

Lappeenranta, the primary metropolis in southeast Finland, was raking in one million euros in each day income earlier than the pandemic, due to the spending energy of Russians.  

However the truth there are any Russians coming to Finland in any respect is notable as a result of Finland is now the final EU nation bordering Russia to nonetheless subject vacationer visas — some 13,000 to this point this 12 months — whereas different international locations like Poland and the Baltic international locations have stopped doing so.

Moscow “will react very negatively” if Helsinki follows their lead and likewise suspends visa companies for Russians, a Kremlin spokesperson mentioned this week.

Political response in Finland

There’s broad help inside the primary political events in Finland to cease Russian tourism by not issuing new visas. Nonetheless, that is undermined considerably by the estimated 100,000 Russians who already maintain Finnish Schengen visas; and a whole bunch of hundreds extra who’ve Schengen visas issued by different international locations. 

The Finnish authorities seems to wish to anticipate the EU to take a typical place on this relatively than performing unilaterally, and with Prime Minister Sanna Marin at present on summer season vacation, there is a sense her caretaker alternative is unlikely to make a decisive transfer.  

Opposition occasion politician Kai Mykkänen says it is nonetheless vital to ship a message to the Russian folks by way of visa sanctions.

“This isn’t a black and white subject, and internally now we have been chatting in regards to the execs and cons,” mentioned Mykkänen, the parliamentary group chairperson for the centre-right Nationwide Coalition Get together. 

“The primary problem is that closing the chance for Russians to come back right here would possibly create anger in the direction of us, whereas our goal is to create anger in the direction of Putin’s regime and the conflict,” he advised Euronews. 

“However taking all this into consideration, it is the suitable factor to point out Russians that additionally they, as a nation, have a duty for sustaining the present regime and their insurance policies and so long as the dimensions of violations are taking place in Ukraine,” Mykkänen continued. “We will not proceed to have regular relations between our two international locations.” 

Commuting alongside the border

There’s 1340km of largely unguarded frontier between Finland and Russia, with solely a handful of official crossing factors. 

Earlier than COVID, Russians residing within the neighborhood of the border have been used to coming to Finland for weekend breaks or buying journeys to Finnish supermarkets and shops. 

Within the peak years of 2012-2014 when the rouble was comparatively sturdy in opposition to the euro, so many Russians have been driving throughout that there was even an internet site devoted to documenting badly parked Russian automobiles in Lappeenranta.   

Some Finnish companies have undoubtedly wished to benefit from this new Russian inflow, and an image on social media this week exhibiting 10kg sacks of sugar stacked up on pallets, seemingly prepared for Russians experiencing sanctions-related shortages at dwelling, drew outraged feedback. 

“Many individuals are indignant about Russians,” mentioned the College of Jap Finland’s Professor Juho Pesonen. 

“However, in fact, companies should accommodate this new scenario and the issue for a lot of is that no one is aware of what is going to occur subsequent week, subsequent month, subsequent 12 months. There isn’t any approach to forecast the policy-making technique of Russia,” or Finland. 

“If we have a look at the Russians coming to Finland many are doing buying tourism. As an entrepreneur it could be sensible to promote these merchandise that Russians are in search of, like espresso or sugar,” he added.  

Whereas Finnish supermarkets inventory as much as meet new Russian calls for, bus firms in St Petersburg say they’re working at full capability. 

“In current weeks it has been systematically full. Individuals wish to benefit from a better passage,” mentioned Sergei Ivanov, of the Balt Automobile firm.

One Russian vacationer in Lappeenranta mentioned he is been visiting Finland for 12 years. 

“It is a fantastic nation with nature and lakes,” mentioned Boris Sourovtsev, who lives in St Petersburg some 400km away.

Along with his five-year visa for Finland, 37-year-old Sourovtsev used to go to the nation a number of occasions annually, however now he fears that is coming to an finish.

“I might be very unhappy and dissatisfied. I hope the conflict will finish quickly,” he mentioned.

Some native shopkeepers are additionally in opposition to the concept of denying Russians the possibility to go to Finland, particularly after struggling the financial impression of their absence throughout the pandemic. 

“It is probably the most absurd concept ever. What do they acquire by isolating extraordinary Russians?” requested Mohamad Darwich, the proprietor of Laplandia Market, a store positioned a couple of minutes from the border. 

“They [people calling for a visa ban] are inflicting an enormous downside for the locals and for enterprise.”