Finland to Fully Close Eastern Border with Russia Tomorrow, Citing National Security Threat

Movement at the Vaalimaa border station in Finland is currently halted as illegal asylum seekers from Somalia, Syria, and India are arriving en masse from the Russian side, reports Yle.

Finnish Minister of the Interior Maria Rantanen announced today at a press conference that starting tomorrow, Finland's eastern border will be fully closed for a month.

The border was opened on Tuesday, December 12. The decision to open was made to assess whether new illegal immigrants were arriving at the border.

"It can be said that it has been established that by the morning, the number of immigrants already amounts to several dozen individuals," says Rantanen.

According to the Minister of the Interior, the situation at the eastern border poses a threat to national security.

"It is clear that the phenomenon of illegal immigration has arisen due to the influence of another state and is also related to criminality. 

Finland is addressing issues related to Finland," added Rantanen.

She stated that the situation will normalize only when the influx of people attempting to enter the country illegally ceases. Therefore, the border closure is necessary to control the situation.

Next time, in a month, the border reopening will be considered even more carefully.

"Finland cannot influence how Russia works. We can decide how to act," clarified the Finnish Minister of the Interior.

According to Deputy Chief of the Border Guard Markku Hassinen, an exceptional and serious situation with violations is ongoing at the eastern border.

"The authorities have realized that the potential for illegal immigration at the eastern border exists, and it has accelerated," says Hassinen.

The Border Guard has proposed to the government to close the border.

Most of the over 50 asylum seekers who arrived at the Niirala border station are young men. Samuli Murtonen, Deputy Chief of the North Karelia Border Guard, saw only a few women during the day. A Yle reporter, who was there from the second half of the day, saw a woman in thin clothing and wet shoes accompanied by an SPR employee.

The Southeast Finland Border Guard reports that 21 asylum seekers arrived at the Vaalimaa border station during the day.

In total, about an hour ago, close to 1300 individuals crossed the border.

784 people left Russia for Finland, and 524 people arrived in Finland from Russia.

The entire eastern border will be closed from December 15, 2023, to January 14, 2024.