Norway increases restrictions on Russian tourists

Norway will continue to increase restrictions for travelers of Russian nationality who wish to visit the Nordic country

Norway announced in a recent press conference held on Thursday that it would continue to tighten its restrictions on the entry of Russian tourists, and warned that those who have tourist visas issued by the Norwegian consulate or issued by another European country, will not will be able enter the Nordic country from Wednesday of the following week.

He Aftenposten, a major Norwegian newspaper, indicated that the Norwegian internal security agency, known by the acronym PST, was worried that Russians involved in espionage were entering through the only border crossing, in Great forestnear the town of The churches. Inger Haugland too He raised his voice mentioning that “Now Russia benefits from carrying out sabotage in European countries to weaken Ukrainian defense capabilities”said the head of counterespionage of the PST.

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the Minister of Justice, Emilie Enger Mehl, indicated that they would be done exceptions to the new entry restrictions but would only apply to people visiting close relatives in Norway or to Russian residents studying or working in Norway. People who live along the border have border resident certificates. Those who will be denied entry are Russian citizens who want to enter Norway for tourism or other non-essential purposes.

The Norwegian government stopped giving tourist visas to Russian citizens two years ago. In September it banned the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia, a measure of the sanctions of the UE contra Moscow for his war with Ukraine.

Although Norway does not belong to the European Unionis part of the free circulation space known as Schengen area, which allows more than 400 million Europeans and visitors to move around the region without showing their travel documents at internal borders.

Norway has been one of the first European countries that is sanctioning Russian citizens for the actions of the Kremlin government, this is for fear that the spies will pose as tourists, although the Nordic country is not stupid and already knows how to be aware. of suspicious movements.