Finland announced on Tuesday plans to restrict traffic, and even close crossings, on its border with Russia, following a rise in arrivals of undocumented migrants.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suggested that Russia was intentionally allowing migrants without valid papers to cross the border, indicating that this could be an attempt by Moscow to destabilise its neighbour.
“This appears to be a deliberate decision,” he stated, emphasising the Finnish government’s determination to ensure border security.
Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia. Following its accession to NATO, Moscow promised countermeasures in April, labelling the expansion of the western alliance a breach of Russia’s security.
Finland’s Interior Minister, Mari Rantanen, told journalists on Tuesday that the government had decided that “the Ministry of the Interior will prepare a proposal for restrictive measures” under the law on border crossings.
“The government may decide to restrict border traffic or close crossings,” she said.
The number of asylum seekers at the border has remained “relatively low, but rose significantly over a short period,” the minister said.
Finnish border guards recorded 39 people arriving at the southeastern border on Monday, surpassing the 34 registered for the whole of last week.
The majority of migrants hail from the Middle East and Africa, said Mikko Lehmus, head of the Finnish Border Guards analytical unit.
The three main nations of origin for those arriving without papers are Iraq, Somalia, and Yemen, a trend that began in late summer, Lehmus said.
