‘Hostile’ agents may be among 14,000 Russians granted Irish visas in four years

Ireland has granted over 14,000 visas to Russian citizens since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, a figure that has prompted concerns from a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) about potential "hostile" intelligence agents entering the country.

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As you can imagine, many in the Irish Ukrainian community will have concerns that thousands of Russian and Belarusian nationals are still able to enjoy travel, work or study in Ireland, while Moscow continues its criminal war against their country.

Figures from the Department of Justice reveal that approximately 97 percent of visa applications from Russian citizens are approved by Irish officials. Dublin MEP Barry Andrews has urged the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, to re-examine the number of visas issued to Russian and Belarusian nationals, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Andrews highlighted the concerns within the Irish Ukrainian community regarding Russian and Belarusian nationals continuing to travel, work, or study in Ireland while Moscow's conflict persists. While visa applications from Russia dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, numbers have since increased, though not to pre-pandemic levels due to stricter EU regulations.

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As you can imagine, many in the Irish Ukrainian community will have concerns that thousands of Russian and Belarusian nationals are still able to enjoy travel, work or study in Ireland, while Moscow continues its criminal war against their country.

These EU restrictions include a ban on multiple-entry visas, requiring Russians to apply anew each time they wish to travel to a member state. Since 2022, Ireland has granted 14,247 visas to Russian citizens, refusing only 465. Most of these were short-term (90 days), with around 2,700 long-term visas issued for work or study. Additionally, over 2,100 visas have been granted to Belarusian citizens since 2022.

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As you can imagine, many in the Irish Ukrainian community will have concerns that thousands of Russian and Belarusian nationals are still able to enjoy travel, work or study in Ireland, while Moscow continues its criminal war against their country.

While acknowledging valid reasons for issuing visas and noting that many Russian and Belarusian citizens do not support the war, Andrews questioned the robustness of measures to detect potential hostile intelligence activities. He also inquired about the possibility of a lifetime visa ban for Russian soldiers who served in Ukraine since 2014, a measure being discussed at the EU level. Concerns were also raised about whether Irish visas are being used for onward travel to the UK and their impact on EU sanctions enforcement.

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As you can imagine, many in the Irish Ukrainian community will have concerns that thousands of Russian and Belarusian nationals are still able to enjoy travel, work or study in Ireland, while Moscow continues its criminal war against their country.