Latvian Authorities Deny Entry to 53 People – 35 of Them Being Russian Nationals
According to a press release by the local media in Latvia, Russians were the main citizens to attempt irregular entry to Latvia – 35 of them, followed by Belarusians (12) and five people from unspecified countries. Those with valid Schengen visas have had their visa cancelled, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
“Foreigners who enter Latvia from the aggressor country Russia or its closest ally Belarus are subject to increased checks at border checkpoints. The purpose of the inspections is to identify persons who support Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and may pose a threat to Latvia’s national security,” the VDD said.
In general, more Russians are leaving their country in recent months compared to the same time in 2021, as the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) revealed that a total of 300,000 Russians had left their country between February 24 – when the war in Ukraine broke and May 10.
The report from EUAA also shows that there were 15,440 detentions recorded in Russia within this three-month period citing prosecution for anti-war protests, fear of reprisal and censorship as the main causes.
The majority of those leaving have moved to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia, Uzbekistan and Turkey, as these countries have lower travel costs and little to no visa requirements.
As per Russians travelling to the EU, they are mainly following regular alternatives for migration, as visas remain available to them, whereas transportation options are limited due to disclosure of border and airspace, as the majority of EU Member States have imposed.
Data from the Russian Federation Border Guard Service shows that nearly 709,158 Russian nationals had plans to travel to the EU in the first quarter of 2022, accounting for 18 per cent of total travellers from Russia for this specific time frame. These rates increased by 12 per cent compared to the first three months of 2021 and 15 per cent more than the yearly average for 2021.
EUAA also reveals that the main factors for the increasing demand of Russian nationals to leave their country are related to safety concerns, human rights and the economic state, with the country experiencing some of the highest prices in decades.
The European Office for Statistics, Eurostat, has revealed that Russian citizens submitted about 700 asylum applications in the EU Member States in February 2022, with this number surging by almost 100 per cent to 1,400 in the following month, making this the month with the highest asylum applications recorded since 2019.