Finland to Tighten Russia Border Controls After Immigrant Influx

Leo Laikola
·2 min read
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(Bloomberg) -- Finland’s government plans measures to deal with a sudden influx of migrants from third countries arriving at its border through Russia without the required documentation.

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The Nordic country, which earlier this year joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is now monitoring the situation “very closely” after more than 130 asylum seekers, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, have arrived at southeastern border crossings since last week, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told reporters on Tuesday.

The government may cap the number of people allowed to cross the border or even close some of the crossing points, as well as to centralize the asylum application processing into one place, Rantanen said. The measures would be taken if there’s a threat to public order, national security or public health, she added.

The recent arrival of immigrants echoes the events of the winter of 2015-2016 when scores of Asian and Middle Eastern asylum seekers suddenly crossed the border in remote Arctic areas from Russia. Officials concluded the move was probably part of a hybrid attack masterminded in Moscow.

Russia appears to deviate from the normal practice of not allowing travelers to reach the Finnish border without the required documents, Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said, adding that it now “gives us grounds to start taking action.”

Read More: Finland to Ban Most Russian Arrivals by Car From Midnight

Finland updated its legislation last year to better prepare for hybrid operations where asylum seekers are used. The country also completed building a pilot phase of a planned 200-kilometer (125 miles) barrier fence to better protect its border with Russia, which now marks NATO’s new eastern flank.

Read More: Finland Blocks Property Sales to Russians on Security Grounds

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