Finland closed four of its nine border crossings with Russia on Friday night to stop a sudden influx of African and Middle Eastern migrants, accusing the Kremlin of sending them in revenge for joining NATO earlier this year.
“It is clear that these people are being helped and are also being escorted or transported to the border by border guards,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Tuesday in announcing the impending crackdown.
At least 280 asylum seekers, mainly from Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq, have arrived in Finland via Russia since September, Finnish authorities said on Thursday, and 100 more flooded the country’s southern border crossings on Friday before the closures.
They arrive at the entry stations by bicycle or on foot after legally entering Russia from their home countries.
“This is not about the number of asylum seekers, but about Finland’s national security and the change in Russia’s activities,” said Riikka Purra, Finland’s finance minister.
Finland, which shares an 830-mile border with Russia, became the 31st member of the NATO military alliance between Europe and the United States in April, in response to international tensions over Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. .
Finnish authorities erected fences at the Nuijamaa border crossing to stop the flow of asylum-seeking migrants arriving through Russia. Lauri Heino/Shutterstock Migrants who arrived at the Finnish border on Thursday, a day before entry stations were closed, were loaded into vans. by border guards.Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images Signs alert travelers that entry into Russia is not allowed through the crossing station in Lappeenranta, Finland.Lauri Heino/Shutterstock
European Union President Ursula von Leyen praised the new Finnish border policy.
“Russia’s instrumentalization of immigrants is shameful,” he said. wrote in X.
“I thank the Finnish Border Guard for protecting our European borders.”
A small crowd of ethnic Russian protesters gathered outside Finland’s Parliament on Saturday to protest the closures.
Two border crossings in northern Finland will continue to accept asylum applications, Orpo said.
Closed entry points will remain closed until February 18.
A Kremlin spokesman said Finland was making a “big mistake.”
“The Finnish authorities have taken the path of destroying bilateral relations,” Dmitry Peskov told state news agency TASS.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn