Russian Embassy withholding Finnish passports

Consular officials Embassy agree to return passports only against payments by travel agency

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The Russian Embassy in Finland has been withholding some Finnish citizens' passports already for two weeks, as these travellers' Finnish travel agency Helpet-Trade Oy has not settled some payments related to the issuance of visas by the Embassy.
      Finnish authorities have no knowledge about the accurate figure of the passports withheld, and the Embassy of Russia's Consular Department is unwilling to give this information to them. Apparently, the number of the passports which are stuck at the Embassy is at least five.
      Several of those citizens whose passports are being withheld at the Russian Embassy have contacted both Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paula Lehtomäki and the Passport and Visa unit of the Legal Department of Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Both of them have contacted the Russian Embassy in order to resolve the situation.
     
Even though the clients  of Helpet-Trade have expressed their willingness to pay the requested amounts of money in order to get their passports back, the Russian Embassy will not return the passports to anyone else but a representative of Helpet-Trade.
      "As soon as Helpet-Trade has settled the matter with us, the problem will be solved", a representative of the Russian Embassy's Consular department stated.
     
The Embassy is unwilling to comment on the matter further. They also do not wish to reveal whether they have had problems with Helpet-Trade even earlier.
      "We have informed the Russian Embassy that these Finnish citizens are not guilty of the travel agency's financial failures. Moreover, we have called for a reappraisal of the matter", reports Satu Mäki, Special Assistant to Minister Lehtomäki.
      According to its web site, Helpet-Trade Oy is a marketing company specializing in travel and visa services to Russia and the Baltic Countries as well as in cultural exchange programmes. The company is owned by Irina and Jorma Ahokas. Helsingin Sanomat was unable to reach the owners for comments.
     
Finnish authorities do not have many methods to get back the passports.
      "Even though the passports are Finnish - thus technically being the property of the government of Finland - there is not much even police can do as long as the passports are withheld at the Embassy. All we can do is to keep contacting the Embassy", says Ann-Christine Krank of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
     
According to Special Assistant Satu Mäki, withholding passports is very exceptional.
      Those Helpet-Trade's clients whose passports are being held by the Russian Embassy are asked to contact the the Passport and Visa unit of the Legal Department of Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs.


Links:
  Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
  Helpet-Trade Oy

Helsingin Sanomat