Russia rejects accusations of forced illegal border crossings to Finland
Russia has rejected accusations by Finland of smuggling undocumented migrants across the border in order to destabilize the neighbouring country, which has been a member of NATO since April. "We do not accept such accusations," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "Border crossings are used by those who have the right to do so," he added. He described the Finnish accusations as "far-fetched".
Finland closed half of its border crossings with Russia on Saturday after the authorities registered a significant increase in the number of migrants from the Middle East and Africa in recent months, particularly from Iraq, Yemen and Somalia.
According to the Finnish media, the remaining four crossings could also be closed this week. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko warned on Monday that such a decision would "run counter to Finland's interests". Kremlin spokesman Peskov accused Helsinki of having adopted a "clear Russophobic stance".
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 2022. In April, Finland joined Nato after decades of neutrality in the alliance. The leadership in Moscow condemned this as an "attack on Russia's security".
Until 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-kilometre-long fence along part of the Finnish-Russian border. It is due to be completed in 2026.
Western countries had previously accused Russia's close ally Belarus of driving tens of thousands of illegal migrants across the border to Poland and Lithuania in 2021 in retaliation for EU sanctions.
Russia strongly disputes Finland's allegations of forced illegal border crossings, stating that their border crossings are for individuals with legitimate rights. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, labeled Finland's reproach as baseless and far-fetched. This issue arises amid Finland's decision to close half of its border crossings with Russia due to an influx of migrants, a move Russia perceives as counterproductive to Finland's interests.
Source: www.ntv.de
