EU to deploy border guards to Finland for patrolling Russian border
At the Finnish border with Russia, patrol forces by Frontex will be strengthened (Photo: frontex.europa.eu)
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, intends to deploy 50 border service officers along with additional personnel, equipment, and transport to Finland to patrol the eastern border of the country with Russia, reports Frontex's press service.
The first group of officers will arrive in Finland on November 29 to expand the joint Frontex Terra 2023 operation in this country.
The first group will include:
- Border control officers,
- Support staff in migrant registration services,
- Document experts and translators.
Currently, Frontex has 10 officers stationed at the border with Finland.
Purpose of the deployment
The Agency notes that such "significant reinforcement" would serve as an example of the organization's commitment to "rapid response and effective support."
According to the Executive Director of the European agency, Hans Leijtens, Frontex's support to Finland goes beyond logistics.
Reaction to hybrid threats
"It’s a demonstration of the European Union’s unified stand against hybrid challenges affecting one of its members," he stated.
Frontex also shares that such rapid mobilization of resources reflects the Agency's crucial role in ensuring European border security, demonstrating its ability "to adapt and respond quickly to the emerging needs of Member States."
"Finland’s external borders, which span 1 340 km, are also the EU’s borders, making their security a matter of collective European concern," the statement said.
Closure of the Finnish border with Russia
Finland began blocking entry from the territory of Russia due to an influx of illegal migrants. Finnish border services, for instance, prohibited entry for individuals traveling by bicycle through checkpoints on the border with Russia.
It's worth mentioning that Finnish border guards previously had to use tear gas when migrants attempted to illegally enter camps from Russia.
As of November 18, four border checkpoints at the Finnish-Russian border were closed, and on November 22, the Finnish government decided to close almost all border crossings. Currently, only one checkpoint is operational in Lapland.
