Emigrants tried to enter Finland illegally from Russia: Border guards used gas
Illustrative photo. A group of people tried to illegally enter Finland from Russia, border guards used gas (Photo: GettyImages)
A group of thirty people arrived at the border and refused to comply with the border guards' demands. The officers had to fire tear gas, according to Yle.
On Friday evening, about thirty people arrived at the Niiralan border crossing. They tried to cross the border, but the border guards stopped them. One of the new arrivals tried to run past the border guards, but they stopped him and tear-gassed him.
The border guard mentioned that he had encountered a group that was disobeying orders and that their intentions and departure plans were unclear. To deal with the situation, the mildest measure was to use a small amount of gas.
According to him, the victim of gas poisoning was examined and given the necessary first aid. The man is doing well.
The head of the Niiralan border post called the incident a stampede. The situation then normalized and the new arrivals were taken to the border control.
They are currently investigating whether they are asylum seekers.
The officer explained that the border guards had been warned of the group's approach by sensors. According to him, the border guards were prepared for such situations, as there is often a rush on Fridays. He confirms that force was used to stop the crowd.
Situation at the border between Finland and Russia
Finland closed four checkpoints on its eastern border on the night of November 17-18. This is due to the large number of refugees seeking asylum.
We also reported that Finland might close the border with Russia completely. The Ministry of the Interior is preparing a bill to this effect.
