Finland is ready to close all border crossing points on border with Russia
Photo: Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo (flickr.com/finnishgovernment)
Finland can close the eastern border with Russia if necessary. This way, Helsinki will close all border crossing points, as announced by the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo.
"But we have a 1300-kilometer border with Russia, and it is not fenced," says Orpo.
At the same time, he noted that the land border is open as such, but border crossing points can be closed if necessary according to Article 16 of the Border Guard Act.
"Requests for asylum can be submitted at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport or at ports, but not at the eastern border," emphasized the Prime Minister.
The law on border security in Finland was reformed in the summer of 2022.
The law allows for centralized submission of asylum applications at certain border crossing points on Finland's state border. Amendments to the Border Guard Act also address the hybrid influence that exploits migration flows.
Closing the Finnish border with Russia
Finland has begun blocking entry from the territory of Russia due to the influx of illegal migrants. The Finnish Border Guard has prohibited entry for individuals traveling by bicycle through border crossing points with Russia.
At the Finland-Russia border, four border crossing points were closed from November 18, and on November 22, the Finnish government decided to close almost all border crossings. Currently, only one border crossing point is operational, located in Lapland.
