Finland closes border with Russia again
At the end of November, the Finnish government reacts to an increasing number of migrants and closes its border with Russia. After a short trial run, Finland pulls the emergency brake again: the eastern border will be closed until mid-January.
Finland has announced that it will once again close its eastern border with Russia after a brief opening. It is to be closed from Friday evening until January 14, said Interior Minister Mari Rantanen on Thursday.
Finland had closed its border completely at the end of November in response to an increasing number of migrants who had come to Finland from Russia in the previous months. On Thursday night, Finland reopened two border crossings with Russia. According to the government in Helsinki, this was to check whether the situation at the border had improved.
According to the Finnish border guard, at least 40 people have crossed the border to apply for asylum in the Scandinavian country since the opening. "The number of migrants has increased rapidly and the phenomenon has accelerated faster than expected," said Interior Minister Rantanen.
Destabilization with migrants
Helsinki accuses Moscow of trying to destabilize Finland by smuggling people. Russia has denied intentionally sending migrants to Finland.
Russia and Finland share a land border of around 1,300 kilometers. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022. In April, Finland joined NATO after decades of neutrality in the alliance. Moscow condemned joining the military alliance as an "attack on Russia's security".
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Despite Russia denying intentional migration sending, Finland has expressed concerns about Moscow attempting to destabilize the country through smuggling of asylum seekers. Amidst this, Finland, being a signatory of the un-migration pact, is now closing its borders with Russia again due to the rapid increase in asylum seekers, a move that aligns with its commitment to safeguard its border security.
Source: www.ntv.de
