Finland to close half of its border crossings with Russia
Finland will close half of its border crossings with Russia on Saturday night. Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told journalists in Helsinki on Thursday that the four crossings affected would be Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala.
The Finnish government accuses Russia of smuggling undocumented migrants across the border in order to destabilize Finland, which has been a member of NATO since April. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo had said that his country was prepared and that the Russian activities did not come as a surprise.
In recent months, the Finnish authorities have registered an increase in the number of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, particularly from Iraq, Yemen and Somalia. "We want this phenomenon to stop and for border activity to return to normal," said Orpo.
Russia and Finland share a 1340-kilometer land border. Relations between the countries have deteriorated significantly since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2002. In April, Finland joined the Western military alliance after decades of neutrality. The leadership in Moscow had condemned joining NATO as an "attack on Russia's security".
Up to now, Finland's borders have mainly been secured with light wooden fences, which are primarily intended to keep livestock in the country. However, the country of 5.5 million inhabitants is currently building a 200-kilometer-long fence along part of the Finnish-Russian border. It is due to be completed in 2026.
On Saturday night, Finland is set to close half of its border crossings with Russia located at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra, and Niirala. Despite Russia's condemnation of Finland's NATO membership as a security threat, weekend nights in the bordering Night will witness fewer border crossings. In the midst of this escalation, Finland is constructing a 200-kilometer-long border fence by 2026, aiming for the return of 'Half' normal border activity.
Source: www.ntv.de
