A group of 18 people has been apprehended by the Finnish Border Guard on suspicion of a state border violation in Imatra, near the border crossing point. The individuals, consisting of men, women, and children, crossed the national border on foot, walking through the snow from Russia.
Preliminary information indicates that they are from the Middle East and have applied for asylum. The incident was discovered as a result of border guard surveillance, and the Southeastern Finland Border Guard continues to investigate the case.
Crossing anywhere along the 1,340 km border between Finland and Russia is illegal. In response to the irregular migration situation, Finnish authorities have closed all eight legal checkpoints to Russia. The closure was initially set to last until February 11, but may be extended.
As long as the border measures remain in place, Finland will not accept applications for international protection at its eastern border. The Finnish Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia will remain closed until at least February 11, 2024.
The country’s eastern border was closed on December 14, 2023, for a month. Due to the ongoing migration situation, the Finnish Border Guard and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, have agreed to extend personnel and material support to the eastern border beyond the initial two-month period.
Frontex personnel support will continue until at least the summer, with approximately 50 permanent staff members being maintained at about one-third of its strength. The support includes patrol vehicles and technical equipment used for monitoring border areas.
Under the Schengen Borders Code (SBC), EU Member States are allowed to reintroduce border controls at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public or internal security. However, this should only be used as a last option and must follow the principle of proportionality.
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