Germany has called on the EU to keep tourist visas for Russians to a minimum
The government of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is calling on the European Union to reduce the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens as much as possible.
The German Foreign Ministry is handling the matter. Officials in Berlin believe that the current scale of visa issuance is inconsistent with the EU’s sanctions policy toward Russia.
German authorities also fear that the large influx of Russian tourists makes it difficult to verify who exactly is entering the European Union and for what purpose.
Roderich Kisewetter, a CDU representative and the party’s expert on foreign and security policy, called for an immediate suspension of tourist visas for Russians or for their issuance to be reduced “to an absolute minimum.”
In his view, the mass issuance of tourist visas runs counter to the strategy of isolating Russia and gives wealthy Russians the impression that relations with Europe are normalizing.
Source: The Guardian.
The U.S. has made its visa bond program—with bonds of up to $20,000—permanent for 50 countries.
The U.S. has revoked more than 175,000 visas since Trump returned to power.
