Number of Russians entering EU remains stable despite mobilization | Abroad

Arrivals are expected to continue to fall due to the EU’s stricter visa policy and Russia’s measures to discourage military-aged men from leaving the country, the Warsaw-based agency said.

Thus, despite the partial mobilization announced by the Kremlin two weeks ago for its war in Ukraine, the usual flow of Russian citizens at EU borders remains stable, Frontex said.

The situation is different in the south of Russia. More than 200,000 Russians have fled to Kazakhstan since the partial mobilization began, the Kazakh foreign minister said earlier. Many Russian men fleeing the mobilization have chosen Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia or Turkey.

Most of the Russians who entered the EU last week did so via Finland (29,000), the only country bordering Russia that only after some time tightened border controls after the partial mobilization announcement.

Restrictions on residence permits and visas have been introduced at European level, and EU member states bordering Russia have also introduced them through unilateral measures. For example, Poland and the Baltic States have tightened the rules for Russian citizens who travel solely for tourist or recreational purposes. Latvia declared a state of emergency in the regions bordering Russia and all member states in the region tightened their border controls with Russia.

As a result, as the week before, most Russian travelers entering the EU had a residence permit or visa for EU member states or Schengen associated countries, while others had dual nationality, Frontex reports. As for illegal border crossings, the agency believes they are likely to increase if Russia decides to close the border to potential conscripts.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine seven months ago, more than 1,356 million Russians have entered the EU through land borders, while 1,314 million have returned.