Finland has asked the EU’s border protection agency, Frontex, for help, given the increase in the number of border crossings from Russia without valid documents. The border guard announced today that these are personnel and technical equipment. Finnish media reported that the border guard has officially asked the armed forces for help in building barbed wire barriers at border stations.
Project manager Ismo Kurki told the Lännen newspaper group that border guards had already started installing additional barriers at border posts with Russia, “not just at the northern border crossings, but everywhere.”
EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson said in the European Parliament that the EU Commission is in constant contact with Finland and is ready to help if the situation changes. According to them, Finland requested 60 Frontex agents.
The Finnish government accuses Russia of increasingly allowing people, mainly from the Middle East, to cross the border to Finland without the necessary documents, where they request asylum. Moscow denies this. Over the weekend, Finland closed four border crossings conveniently located near St. Petersburg. The country now wants to keep just one crossing open, the remaining three will initially remain closed until December 23rd.