- Finland closes four border crossings with Russia.
- This is the country’s response to irregular entry attempts by refugees.
- Russia criticizes the approach. It puts a strain on diplomatic relations.
On Saturday, barriers were set up at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border crossings in southeastern Finland, according to the border guard.
Around 300 asylum seekers, mainly from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria, arrived in Finland this week. This is an exceptionally high number. The Finnish government assumes that Russia is increasingly smuggling refugees without valid papers towards the Finnish border. Russia wants to punish Finland for its decision to cooperate more closely with the USA on defense.
Legend:
At the border with Finland near Nuijamaa, dozens of bicycles that refugees were trying to use to enter the country were confiscated.
Reuters/Lehtikuva/Vesa Moilanen
Russia rejected the allegations. By closing the border crossings, Finland is making a “big mistake” and destroying bilateral relations. This was reported by the Russian news agency Tass.
Finland’s 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia is also an external border of the EU. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the situation with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo last week. “Russia’s instrumentalization of migrants is shameful,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Estonia has also registered unusual arrivals of migrants without valid documents at the Russian border. Eight people from Somalia were sent back to Russia, according to a government press conference.
Legend:
The border at Nuijamaa/FIN was also closed.
REUTERS/Attila Cser