Finland will temporarily close its only remaining border crossing with Russia, the prime minister announced. Petteri Orpo, at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. The closure will take effect on Thursday. The measure aims to protect the country from what has been described a hybrid attack by Russia, by allowing undocumented migrants from third countries to reach the Finnish border.
The decision means that Finland’s entire border with Russia will be closed, with the exception of rail freight traffic across the border Vainikkala junctionin southeast Finland.
Orpo said the decision was due to national security concerns. “Our goal is to normalize the exceptional situation on Finland’s eastern border as quickly as possible. We do not accept any attempt to undermine our national security,” he said. “Russia caused this situation and can put an end to it,” declared the Finnish Prime Minister.
The Interior Minister, Mari Rantanen, confirmed that the border will close at midnight on Wednesday for an initial period of two weeks. Last week, the deputy justice minister rejected previous government plans to close borders, saying the Home Office’s proposal did not address the rights of migrants.
Finland initially closed four checkpoints in the southeast starting November 18 amid suspicions that Russia was carrying out a hybrid attack by sending undocumented asylum seekers toward the Finnish border.
As migrants appeared at border crossings further north, Finland later closed three more checkpoints and only left the border crossings Raja Jooseppi, in the far north of Finnish Lapland, remained open, meaning seven out of eight checkpoints were closed last weekend. Rantanen said the recent closure was an available option due to its temporary and exceptional nature under Finnish law.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Finnish government said that during the closure it would only be possible to apply for asylum at air and sea border points. “From November 30, 2023, it will no longer be possible to apply for international protection at border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia. At Finland’s external borders it will only be possible to apply for international protection at open borders.” Border crossing points. Border crossing for air and sea traffic,” the statement said.