Finland Keeps Its Border with Russia Closed for Another Month
Amid the ongoing concerns about instrumentalised migration, Finland has decided to keep its border with Russia shut for another month. As previously confirmed by Finland’s Prime Minister, in line with the government’s order, the border crossing points with Russia will remain closed until February 11, 2024, with the possibility of the measure being extended again.
During the time that the border crossing points with Russia are closed, no one will be able to cross the border from Russia to Finland and vice versa. Moreover, as long as the measures at the border with Russia are in place, Finland will not accept international protection applications at its eastern border. Instead, international protection applications can only be submitted at border crossing points where entry and exit are permitted.
The Finnish government decided back on December 14, 2023, to temporarily close its eastern border for a month and centralise international protection applications as the other crossing points. However, since during the last month the country did not see any improvement in the situation, it has decided to keep measures in place for another month.
Commenting on the matter, the Minister of Interior of Finland, Mari Rantanen, said that it is necessary that the country keeps its eastern border closed. According to her, there is no data suggesting that Russia will put an end to its activities related to instrumentalisation of migrants, for this reason, the border will not open for movement.
The Finnish authorities claim that there is clear evidence that Russia and other actors are facilitating instrumentalised migration, which involves international crime. As data from the Finnish authorities show, despite the eastern border being closed, a number of migrants are still waiting in the neighbouring area for the border to open and to enter Finland.
To avoid any serious threats to national security and public safety, Finland will regularly assess its measures and decide to whether open or keep the eastern border closed based on the situation. As the situation develops, it is important for travelers to stay updated on the status of the border and any potential changes in the government’s decision.
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