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Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa worldwide airport has turn into a key transit hub for Russian vacationers.
Lots of them drive into Finland amid an EU ban on Russian flights into its airspace.
Russian vacationers holding legitimate EU Schengen visas can journey freely inside the zone.
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The European Union has banned Russian flights from its airspace over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, however Russian vacationers are nonetheless touring international locations within the bloc.Russian holidaymakers have been capable of journey to numerous EU locations by taking circuitous routes to their locations — or, if their areas permit, by merely driving throughout the nation’s northwestern border to Finland and making their method to the Helsinki-Vantaa worldwide airport.Because the EU flight ban, Finland has turn into a key transit hub for Russian vacationers, a lot in order that their luxurious vehicles — Porsches and Bentleys, amongst others — are packing the storage on the Helsinki airport, AFP reported on Tuesday.”Helsinki airport is seeing plenty of Russian tourism in the intervening time,” Finnish International Minister Pekka Haavisto advised AFP.
That is been the case since Russia eased Covid journey restrictions on July 15, sending border crossings up 80% in only one month from June, per AFP. The state of affairs has angered many Finns, who discover it troublesome to just accept Russians holidaying in Finland whereas the Kremlin continues to be at struggle with Ukraine.An attraction well-liked with Russian vacationers in Finland has even gone so far as to play the Ukrainian nationwide anthem to protest struggle, the AFP reported.Finland is planning to restrict Russian vacationer visas from September 1, in keeping with the nation’s international ministry in an announcement final week. Nonetheless, Russians can nonetheless enter Finland with visas issued by different EU international locations within the borderless Schengen area. Because it stands, two-thirds of Russians cross into Finland by way of its jap border with visas issued by different EU international locations, the Finnish border guard advised AFP.”They arrive right here on Schengen visas issued by varied completely different international locations after which proceed additional by way of Helsinki airport,” Haavisto advised the outlet. Underneath Schengen guidelines, Finland can not unilaterally deny entry to these holding legitimate visas.
EU international ministers are set to debate a region-wide visa ban for Russian nationals subsequent week however not all member states assume it is a good suggestion as there could also be those that need to flee President Vladimir Putin’s regime.”This isn’t the struggle of the Russian individuals, however it’s Putin’s struggle,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mentioned final week at a press convention.
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