Finland closes four border crossings with Russia for the time being
The Finnish government has announced the closure of four border crossings in the south-east of the country in view of the growing number of undocumented migrants at the Russian border.
The Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa border crossings will be closed on Saturday night, said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Interior Minister Mari Rantanen at a press conference. These are conveniently located near the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Asylum applications will be accepted at the Salla and Vartius border stations hundreds of kilometers further north, they added.
The regulation is to remain in force until February 18. Rantanen emphasized that this was not an immigration policy move, but a reaction to Russia's actions. The Interior Minister had already accused Moscow of allowing illegal entry to Finland on Tuesday. Unlike in the past, people were being allowed through despite having no documents.
Orpo and Rantanen said that the number of border crossings had increased significantly in recent days. According to the border guard in south-eastern Finland, 75 asylum seekers were registered. That was more than in the entire previous week.
Estonia also registers migrants arriving via Russia
According to Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets, Russia has allowed eight Somali citizens to travel on to the Baltic EU and NATO country despite their lack of documents. In the absence of a valid Schengen visa or residence permit, the migrants were denied entry at the border station in Narva and sent back, he said at the government press conference in Tallinn.
Läänemets also reported that more people had been spotted at Russian border points. Estonia's border guards will do everything possible to prevent the situation from developing further and to prevent more migration attempts, he said. The minister added that the migrants could hardly have thought all this up themselves: "Without the appropriate rights, they should not be allowed to cross the Russian border".
According to Läänemets, Estonia is also coordinating its activities with Finland. "The message we are sending is: you cannot enter the European Union via Estonia like this," he said.
The closure of Finnish border crossings has led to an increase in illegal entry attempts, with refugee movements showcasing a significant surge. Despite this, undocumented migrants are still attempting illegal entry into Finland from Russia.
Source: www.dpa.com
