Up to 13 Russian athletes have been given the go-ahead by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) to compete as neutral athletes next season.
This has drawn strong criticism from Sweden.
The government has now sent a letter to the European Commission urging it to speed up new visa rules, which would allow more Russian and Belarusian citizens to be denied visas.
While thousands of Ukrainian families are preparing for a winter that unfortunately looks set to be very difficult, and Russian terror attacks continue, we are seeing Russian skiers prepare for the World Championships in Falun. It is a strange situation, to say the least, says Migration Minister Johan Forssell.
Starts in February
The World Ski Championships in Falun will start at the end of February next year.
The Swedish Ski Association does not want Russian athletes on the starting line, so what we are doing now is trying to increase the possibility of denying visas, says Sports Minister Jakob Forssmed (KD).
New EU rules are expected to be proposed in the first quarter of 2027.
While waiting for new EU legislation that would allow Russian citizens to be denied visas on broader grounds, stricter guidelines are also needed, according to Forssell.
The government is also working with the other Nordic countries to see whether stricter measures can be implemented at the Nordic level, for example through biometric passports.
The Swedish Migration Agency currently has some grounds for refusing visa applications, for example if a person is considered a security threat or is thought to be spreading propaganda in support of the war.
But each case is assessed individually.
Using sport
However, Forssell is clear that Russia is using sport as a propaganda tool.
We know that there are Russian athletes who are actively spreading this war narrative. There is also the possibility of refusing visas on the grounds of threats to national security. And we also know that there are Russian athletes who have close ties to the Russian military.
Sweden also stresses in the letter that Russians should not be able to obtain a visa in another EU country and then travel to Sweden under freedom of movement.
We do not want any loopholes to arise, says Forssell.
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