The Finnish government has announced an extension of the closure of its eastern border with Russia due to ongoing concerns about instrumentalised migration. The border crossing points will remain closed for an additional two months until April 14, 2024, and during this time, no one will be able to enter or leave Finland through the eastern border.
As a result of the closure, migrants will not be able to submit international protection applications at any border crossing point at the Finnish-Russian border. These types of applications can only be submitted at Finland’s border crossing points that are open for movement.
The decision to extend the border closure was made in response to the high number of irregular migrants waiting to enter the country. The Finnish authorities believe that keeping the border with Russia closed is essential to prevent instrumentalised migration and will continue to assess the situation to determine whether to extend or lift the measures.
Commenting on the extension, Interior Minister of Finland Mari Rantanen stated that there are thousands of migrants waiting near the Russian border for a chance to enter Finland. She expressed concern about Russia’s behavior and its continued operation to destabilize the EU.
The instrumentalisation of migrants by Russia has raised concerns among Finnish authorities, who are seeking alternatives to address this phenomenon. In addition to keeping its entire eastern border closed, Finland is considering putting up additional temporary barriers at the border with Russia to ensure national security.
The Finnish Border Guard has not disclosed the exact locations of the temporary barriers, but it is clear that the country is taking measures to protect its borders and prevent instrumentalised migration.
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