The barrier will be built on 15% of the Russian border and is expected to be completed by 2026
The Finnish government is building a 200 km wall on the border with Russia, ostensibly to protect the country from possible Russian aggression. The barrier makes up 15% of the 1,300 km border between the two countries. It is currently marked with plastic signs and wires for most of its length.
Construction began on February 28, 2023 and the target areas should be completed by 2025 and the remainder of the lock in 2026. The deadline is justified by the weather conditions in the country.
The proposal was submitted to the Finnish government by the Finnish Border Guard and the Ministry of Interior. In order to erect the barrier, the country had to change its legislation and introduce an amendment restricting the receipt of asylum applications to certain entry points. The changes are also expected to allow fences and roads to be built on the Finnish side to help with patrol.
The reason for the action is the “current security situation” in the country and a way to prevent immigrants from entering the country illegally. Finland and Russia have a history of wars, and Helsinki has felt threatened by its neighbor since invading Ukraine.
“A fence on the eastern border is necessary in the current security situation, as it prevents illegal entry, speeds up the detection and arrest of illegal border crossers, enables largescale and instrumented entry prevention and improves regional surveillance. and the prevention of territorial violations,” the government reasoned.
Last week Finland officially became the 31st member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
The Finnish government made its request official in May 2022 after realizing that the country’s security was under threat. The decision to join NATO was fueled by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Finland ratified its accession on March 30 after the organization’s 30 member countries agreed to join.
Finland’s accession more than doubles the length of the military alliance’s border with Russia, as the Nordic country shares about 1,300 kilometers with the nation commanded by Vladimir Putin. Previously, 3 NATO members shared a land border with Russia: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.