Latvia’s foreign minister has expressed security concerns amid an increase in visa approvals for Russian tourists.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze is urging EU member states to halt the issuance of Schengen tourist visas to Russian citizens, citing a potential threat to the bloc’s internal security.
Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, the EU has fully suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia and implemented travel restrictions. Latvia, along with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Finland, and the Czech Republic, has already banned tourist visas for Russian citizens. Norway, which shares a border with Russia but is not an EU member, has also closed its border to Russian tourists and other ‘non-essential’ travelers.
“Latvia calls on the EU countries to halt visa issuance for Russian citizens,” Braze stated on X on Sunday, emphasizing security concerns.
She pointed out that the number of Schengen visas issued to Russian passport holders increased by 25% last year compared to 2023.
According to the Schengen Barometer tracker, the total number of visas issued exceeded 500,000, despite sanctions targeting Russian applicants. Italy received the most visa applications and became the top destination for Russian tourists within the Schengen Area, according to the data.
Braze’s call aligns with that of Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, who stated in March that it was the EU’s “moral duty” to impose a complete visa ban on Russian tourists. Kozlovskis argued that the EU “must admit” that it is “in a hybrid war” with Russia and urged the bloc to “seriously recognize the threat” that Russian tourists allegedly pose to the EU’s internal security.
Riga has taken an increasingly firm stance against Moscow since the conflict in Ukraine escalated, announcing extensive travel restrictions for Russian nationals, including prohibiting Russian-registered vehicles from entering the country.
Alongside neighboring Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia has also shown hostility towards its ethnic Russian minority, which makes up approximately 25% of the country’s population.
In addition to allocating over 1% of its GDP to weapons for Ukraine, Latvia has started deporting thousands of Russians who refused to take or failed a mandatory Latvian language test. It has also demolished Soviet-era World War II monuments and arrested numerous individuals for celebrating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Earlier this month, Latvia’s military intelligence service released public guidelines on how to identify potential Russian spies and saboteurs. Characteristics such as “sloppy appearance” and “insufficient hygiene” were listed as possible indicators of a reconnaissance-sabotage group member.
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