Why do Russians continue to travel to the European Union?

BrusselsOne of the first sanctions that the European Union applied against Russia It was the restriction of visas to Russian citizens so they can enter the EU. More than three and a half years after the start of the war in Ukraine, however, the European bloc admits that many people with passports from Vladimir Putin's regime are still entering, and that the number of entries has been increasing in recent months. Sources within the European Commission and member states confirm in the ARA that it is very difficult to control and reduce the number of Russian citizens arriving in the EU, even though visa issuance has been increasingly restricted.

The data confirms this. Although the number of visa applications accepted has fallen substantially compared to the more than four million issued in 2019, for example, the figures remain high: in 2024, approximately 606,000 travel permits were issued across the EU, according to the European Commission itself. This number represents a 16.5% increase compared to 2023.

The percentage of rejected applications also confirms the lack of control acknowledged and denounced by the European Commission and a number of member states: approximately 541,800 applications were accepted, meaning only around [number missing] were rejected.

These figures are worrying for Brussels, which is limited in its ability to prevent the issuance of so many visas. Last week, the European Union approved, at the proposal of the European Commission, a ban on the issuance of multiple-entry travel permits within the EU. From now on, every time a Russian citizen wishes to enter EU territory, they must apply for a single visa, which will allow member states to have greater control over entries and exits.

Diplomatic sources from some of the states most critical of the Russian regime expressed skepticism to ARA regarding the effectiveness of the new visa restrictions approved by the EU. As sources within the European Commission also pointed out, the authority to grant or deny these permits rests solely with national governments, and some countries within the bloc, such as Hungary and Slovakia, are pro-Russian and have no problem admitting Russian citizens. Once inside, for example, Hungary, they can then move freely throughout the Schengen Area.

The eternal division of the EU

Faced with the increasing number of Russian citizens entering the EU, the vast majority of Eastern European countries, which feel the threat of Russian expansionism more acutely, wanted to completely ban the issuance of visas to people holding passports from Putin's regime. However, member states that adopt a less forceful tone toward Moscow, such as those in the south and west of the European bloc, have opposed this extreme measure and preferred not to punish Russian civil society to such an extent.

The division has become evident even within the European Commission itself. Although Brussels also ruled out a total visa ban, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Estonian Kakha Kallas, warned Russian citizens not to take access to the bloc for granted. "Entering and moving within the EU is not a right, it is a privilege," warned one of the harshest voices in Brussels against Putin.

Similarly, Kallas and the Eastern European countries warn that Russia is taking advantage of the relative ease with which its citizens can enter the EU. migratory instrumentalization"The illegal invasion by Russia has created the most dangerous security environment in Europe in decades," added EU foreign policy chief Kallas at a press conference last week. In fact, the stance towards Russia is also evident in the record of visas issued by country. The member state that issued the most in 2024 was Italy, followed by France, Spain, and Greece, with 152,000, 123,000, 111,000, and 60,000 travel permits issued to Russian citizens, respectively. Hungary trails behind, having issued more than 23,000 visas throughout last year.