In view of the recent arrival of dozens of illegal migrants, the last remaining open border post between Finland and Russia will be completely closed overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Helsinki accuses Moscow of exploiting refugees.
Published on: November 29, 2023 – 10:07 p.m
3 mins
Finland will close its last remaining open border crossing with Russia on the night of Wednesday November 29th to Thursday November 30th, accusing Moscow of staging a “hybrid attack” by sending undocumented migrants to the border.
According to Helsinki, almost 1,000 undocumented asylum seekers, particularly from Somalia, Iraq and Yemen, have reported to the 1,340-kilometer eastern border between Finland and Russia since the beginning of August.
“The phenomenon observed at the border in recent weeks must stop,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo assured on Tuesday, noting that “instrumental migration from Russia continues.”
Helsinki closed four of its eight border crossings with Russia in mid-November before restricting passage last week to a single border crossing, the country’s northernmost, in the Arctic zone.
“Finland is the target of a Russian hybrid operation. It is a question of national security,” emphasized Interior Minister Mari Rantanen.
“Sometimes decisions are simply irrational,” reacted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, quoted by Russian authorities.
The Raja-Jooseppi border post will remain closed until December 13, she said. According to a government press release, asylum seekers must apply for protection “at border crossing points open to air and sea traffic,” i.e. ports and airports.
This influx of migrants is “an organized activity and not a real emergency,” said the Finnish Prime Minister. “The ease with which migrants reached the remote Raja-Jooseppi border crossing is evidence of this,” he added. “It’s not just about the number of arrivals, but about the phenomenon itself,” said Petteri Orpo.
Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated significantly since February 2022 and the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which led to Finland joining NATO in April 2023 out of concern for its own security. Moscow then promised to take “countermeasures” after this accession.
“Our message is clear. Don’t come. The border is closed.”
Last week, the Finnish government considered closing its border, but the measure was deemed disproportionate by the agency responsible for monitoring the legality of government actions.
In exceptional cases the border can be closed completely, but this closure must be proportionate and asylum seekers must be able to submit their application. This closure is “necessary and proportionate,” the government assured in its press release.
When asked about caring for migrants standing in the rain at closed border crossings, Orpo replied that “this phenomenon would not exist without the change in policy of the Russian authorities.”
“We trust the judgment of the border guards [russes] and their ability to respond to different situations,” he said.
The Interior Minister emphasized that migrants “have the responsibility to decide whether they come to the border or not.” “Our message is clear: don’t come. The border is closed,” she said.
Border guards emphasized that migration pressure has so far been exerted at border crossings and not along the rest of the border, in uninhabited areas.
Anticipating that Moscow would resort to migratory pressure, Finland began building a huge 200 km fence, but only three kilometers were completed.
Orpo said he hoped the situation with Russia would normalize “as soon as possible.” “It is in everyone’s interest, including Russia,” he added.
With AFP