Finland prolongs border closure with Russia
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The Finnish government extends the closure of land border crossings with Russia until further notice. Meanwhile, several ports will be added to the list where entry will be prohibited, according to Reuters.
Finland shut its land borders with Russia late last year amid a growing number of arrivals from countries including Syria and Somalia. It has accused Moscow of weaponizing migration against the Nordic nation, an assertion the Kremlin denies.
"Finnish authorities see this as a long-term situation. We have not seen anything this spring that would lead us to conclude that the situation has changed meaningfully," Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said in a statement.
The government had said in February that the border closure was set to last until April 14.
Closing the borders of Finland with Russia
On November 30, 2023, Finland decided to close all border crossings on the border with Russia due to an influx of illegal migrants from the Russian Federation.
In the middle of December, the Finnish government resumed the operation of two border checkpoints. However, due to a new wave of migrants, the border had to be closed again.
The Prime Minister of Finland dismissed the possibility of opening the border with Russia. According to him, the problem with illegal migrants has not been resolved.
