Finland Halts Entry for Cyclists Coming from Russia

Finnish border guards in the southeast of the country have stopped allowing individuals arriving from Russia on bicycles to enter the country. This information was reported by the Finnish television and radio company Yle.

Jukka Lukkari, the deputy commander of the Border Guard of Southeastern Finland, stated that the number of illegal immigrants attempting to enter Finland on bicycles is increasing.

"During the past week, there have been about 30 such cases. This clearly confirms the growth of this phenomenon," he said.

According to Lukkari, in the past, people crossing the border on bicycles used them for short local trips, but now they have tried to cross the border without the necessary documents, lacking working bicycle lights, and helmets.

Noticing the increase in the number of cyclists, the border guards decided to address this issue. Since last Thursday, individuals from Russia are prohibited from entering Finland on bicycles through border crossings in the southeast of the country.

"From Finland's perspective, it is entirely justified to focus control on automotive transport, which helps better regulate traffic across the border," Lukkari explained.

On a daily basis, around 3,000 individuals cross the eastern border in both directions through border checkpoints in Southeastern Finland. By the end of September this year, just under 3,200 asylum seekers had arrived in Finland.

Earlier, Finland had already restricted the entry of Russian passenger cars. In September, the Border Guard announced that vehicles registered in Russia would no longer be allowed into Finland.

It is worth noting that Finland is currently testing a digital passport on flights operated by Finnair between Helsinki and three cities in the United Kingdom. The Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) system aims to streamline and optimize border control processes. DTC serves as a digital identity document for travel, providing an alternative to physical passports. The system is designed to improve passenger service at airports and expedite the verification process. Additionally, DTC ensures reliable data protection and a modern verification system.