Finland to Restrict Border Crossings and Fully Close Checkpoints with Russia Due to Influx of Illegal Immigrants

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Russia deliberately allows migrants to cross the border despite the lack of valid documents, which indicates an attempt to destabilise its neighbour. "It seems to have been a deliberate decision," he said. "The message from the government is clear: we want to secure our borders.", as reported by Yle.

According to Orpo, if necessary, measures can be implemented quickly.

"We can restrict border traffic, close some border crossings or even all of them, or concentrate asylum seekers in one place," Orpo said, referring to the possibilities of the Border Guard Act.

The number of asylum seekers on the border of South-Eastern Finland with Russia is growing rapidly.

At 15:00, the Border Guard reported that 66 asylum seekers had arrived from Russia today, on Wednesday.

In the afternoon, the number increased by several people. At around 13:30, border guards reported that another 63 asylum seekers had arrived today.

In total, 39 arrived on Monday and 55 on Tuesday.

The asylum seekers came from far away, such as Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Turkey.

A refugee who crossed the Finnish border with Russia on Monday on a bicycle said that Russian police helped him get to the Finnish border.

According to Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, the defence cooperation agreement between Finland and the United States could have provoked an influx of asylum seekers from Russia. According to him, a similar situation occurred in 2015.

The President of Finland believes that the DCA defence cooperation agreement prepared by Finland and the United States could have provoked a flow of asylum seekers from Russia to Finland's eastern border.

Niinistö recalls that he has already stated in connection with the debate on Finland's NATO membership that Finland should be prepared for "some anger" from Russia.

Recently, Finnish border guards in the southeast of the country banned people who had come from Russia on bicycles from entering the country. Previously, people who crossed the border on bicycles used them for short local trips, but now they are trying to cross the border without the necessary documents, without working bicycle lights and helmets.

Every day, about 3,000 people cross the eastern border in both directions through the border crossing points in southeastern Finland.