The Norwegian government has threatened to deport professional athletes from Russia and Belarus, along with their accompanying crew members, if they enter the country to participate in sporting competitions
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According to a statement issued by the Norwegian government, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security will instruct the Immigration Service and the police to implement deportation orders against Russian and Belarusian athletes, as well as members of accompanying delegations, if they come to Norway to participate in sports tournaments.
These measures are scheduled to come into effect in the near future.
The Norwegian move comes amid escalating European restrictions on Russian athletes, with Finland also moving towards tightening entry requirements for Russian citizens, with the possibility that the new measures will include professional athletes.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced that his country is preparing to impose new restrictions, considering that a complete ban on the entry of Russians would be a more consistent option from his point of view, while the Finnish Foreign Ministry is working on preparing a proposal to amend the rules regulating their entry.
These moves accelerated as a number of sporting events scheduled to take place in Finland approached, including NBA games, figure skating championships, and a stage of the Cross Country World Cup.
In contrast, Finnish politician Armando Mima, a member of the Freedom Alliance party, apologized to the Russian athletes, criticizing the politicians who called for these restrictions, and stressing that Russian athletes should be welcomed in competitions held in Finland, both now and in the future.
A possible European boycott of Russia at the 2027 Hockey World Cup
On another note, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a decision allowing Russian national teams to return to international competitions affiliated with the International Ice Hockey Federation, after they had been absent from tournaments since February 2022.
But this decision has sparked opposition from several European countries, with seven countries – Austria, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic – announcing their intention to boycott any potential match against the Russian national team during the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship, scheduled to be held in Germany.
The Finnish cities of Tampere and Turku have threatened to withdraw from hosting the 2028 Youth World Championship if Russian teams are allowed to participate, while Germany has expressed its willingness to give up hosting the senior World Championship in 2027 if the same decision is made.
In a related context, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights announced that the refusal of some European federations to play matches against Russian teams in the 2027 World Cup does not necessarily constitute a form of discrimination, explaining that if the boycott comes within the framework of a political or social protest, and is not motivated by the nationality or national origin of the athletes, then it falls within the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
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