Finland takes the drastic decision for Russian tourists, from September 1...

Finland has made the decision to reduce by 90% the number of tourist visas for Russian citizens starting from September 1.

Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto explained today that the Finnish government took the decision as large numbers of Russian tourists are using Finland and Helsinki Airport to transfer to tourist destinations in Europe, following the lifting of travel restrictions imposed by Moscow on due to the pandemic.

"Tourist visas will not be completely stopped, but their number will be significantly reduced," the Finnish foreign minister was quoted as saying. "This means that other types of visas, visits to relatives, family contacts, work, study, will be prioritized and given more time," he said.

Finland currently processes about 1,000 visa applications per day from Russian citizens, according to public broadcaster Yle.

Haavisto said Finland would also consider creating a specific category of humanitarian visas, which could help journalists or NGO workers