The issue should be brought up for discussion as soon as possible.
The Parliament of Finland will consider the issue of annulment of already issued short-term visas to Russians. The proposal will be put up for discussion as a civil initiative supported by more than 50,000 residents of the republic.
The petition was created in July on the Kansalaisaloite.fi website, which publishes public appeals to the Finnish authorities. Until mid-September, the number of signatures did not exceed 10 thousand, but later the initiative began to rapidly gain popularity. With a sufficient number of votes and after verification by the Ministry of Justice of the country, the proposal is submitted for consideration to local authorities.
“The Finnish parliament should take the necessary measures in the near future to prohibit the issuance of new entry visas to citizens of countries waging aggressive wars contrary to international law. In addition, it is necessary to amend the legislation, according to which short-term visas already issued to citizens of such countries can be canceled on the basis of the relevant clause of the Visa Code,” the text of the appeal says.
Note that the Finnish government has already announced the forthcoming package of new visa sanctions against Russians. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs may grant the right to visit the country only for studying at local universities, working or meeting with relatives.
In turn, according to the Yle publication, many local deputies are also in favor of a total closure of borders. However, there are those who are against such a policy. Some deputies believe that a certain category of citizens of the Russian Federation still needs to be allowed into the country, for example, human rights activists and people who refuse partial mobilization.
