France has been refusing a high number of Schengen visa applications filed by Russians in the last years.
New data show that since February 2022, France has rejected 1,200 visas and accreditations for Russian diplomats and speakers wishing to attend conferences and other events in the French territory, Schengen.News reports.
As Le Monde explains, espionage fears are the main reason behind these rejections. A member of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the tightened visa measures against Russians are aimed at preventing Moscow from rebuilding an intelligence network, which has been severely damaged in the first half of 2022.
During the above-mentioned period, France expelled 55 officials and agents operating under diplomatic cover.
The same member highlighted that the “consular vigilance” stems from a broadened consultation procedure within the Schengen Areasuggesting that all measures have been taken under the current laws.
Among the 1,200 Russians who had their visa applications rejected were also business leaders and executives who claimed to be travelling to France for business and “festival-goers” who regularly attend cultural events around the world.
To be able to detect “suspicious profiles”, it has been explained that the French consulates are closely working with the General Directorate for Internal Security. Up to 40 attempts to post Russian diplomats to France have been blocked since mid-2022.
France is not the only country that has been keeping a more vigilant approach towards Russians. Several other member states have tightened their rules, and some others, including Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland, among others have halted visa issuance altogether.
Latvia Has Urged Member States to Stop Granting Visas to Russians
Latvia is one of the member states that has halted the issuance of visas for Russians and has banned their entry for tourism purposes.
However, the country has said that this is not enough to protect the EU’s safety and security. During a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs held earlier in March, Latvia said that all member states should stop granting visas to Russians.
According to the Minister of Interior of Latvia, Rihards Kozlovskis, things cannot go as usual in the current circumstances. He said that the bloc must admit that the member states are in a hybrid war and should take measures on the matter.
This call came following the presentation of the Schengen Barometer data for 2024, which showed that the EU countries granted 565,069 tourist visas to Russians in 2024.
This number, according to Minister Kozlovskis, is very concerning as it represents a 25 per cent increase compared to 2023.