Netherlands joins call to curb Russian tourist travel to Europe

The Dutch government has backed a Swedish proposal to restrict Russian tourists from travelling to the European Union. Speaking in Luxembourg on Thursday, Migration Minister Bart van den Brink said the request put forward by Sweden was “justified.”

Swedish Migration Minister Johan Forssell wants visa restrictions for Russian citizens." Last year in Europe, almost 500,000 Russian tourists [were] let into Europe,” said Forssell on Thursday about an initiative he presented at the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg. “I want there to be no more shopping weekends. I want there to be no more fancy trips to Europe while Ukrainians are dying on the battlefield. This situation is completely insane, and it needs to be stopped.”

The Dutch minister said he felt his Swedish counterpart “rightly states” that there is a concern that many Russians are granted tourist visas to enter “many places” in Europe.

“It may well seem very good for the location, and the tourism economy of that country. But by doing this, we continue to send a somewhat mixed message to Russia, saying ‘Keep coming.

He then added, “the Netherlands also shares the desire to be stricter in this regard.” He said there was no concrete discussion about what such a policy would be.

A total of 11 European nations, led by Sweden and backed by the Netherlands, are urging the EU to restrict tourist visas for Russian citizens, citing national security concerns and a rise in visa issuance.

The coalition proposes amending the EU Visa Code to allow refusals based on nationality and calls for a ban on multiple-entry visas for Russians, highlighting the inadequacy of current sanctions, Reuters reported.