Petteri Orpo said he hoped EU leaders, meeting for a two-day summit in Brussels, would pass the issue to the European Commission to begin work on a proposal.
He argued the current practice was “unreasonable” at a time when security services are warning of a hybrid threat and Russian acts of sabotage, or attempts at them, in Europe have been proven.
In one case, a drone carrying an explosive charge was used at Leipzig airport in Germany. One suspect holding a Russian passport reportedly entered the EU on a tourist visa issued by Italy.
“Last year, Russians could have received as many as 800,000 visas in total. That is a huge number”, Orpo told parliament in Helsinki on Wednesday.
Finland stopped issuing such visas in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. The Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have also tightened rules on Russians entering the Schengen area.
According to Polish Press Agency (PAP), Italy, France, and Spain still grant the largest number of visas to Russians.
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Source: PAP