It is mainly the number of Russian seamen crossing the border on their way to and from fishing vessels in eastern Finnmark that is going down this year. 2,500 fewer seamen crossed the border at Storskog shows the statistics from the police in charge of the passport control.
The majority of the people crossing the border are still Russian citizens, around 30,000. The number of other Russian’s crossing the border are more or less the same as the first half of 2008, while the number of Norwegian’s are down some 400 to 8,600 compared with the year before.
In total for the first six months 50,230 people crossed Storskog-BorisGleb border stations, the only check-point on land where travellers are allowed to cross the border between Norway and Russia.
In January, BarentsObserver reported that in total 104,584 people crossed the border at Storskog-BorisGleb in 2008.
BarentsObserver reported earlier this week that the number of visa applications to the Norwegian General Consulate in Murmansk increased with 5,6 percent the first six months of 2009 compared with the same period last year.
Starting from December last year, all inhabitants of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Oblasts can get a so-called “Pomor-visa”, a multi-entry visa without having a special invitation from someone in Norway. However, for first time travellers, a single-entry visa will be issued. Then a one-year valid multi-entry visa will be issued, thereafter a three-year valid visa and finally the person can obtain a five-year valid multi-entry visa to Norway.
