Finland to close all its Russian border crossings to refugees for two weeks

Finland is to close all checkpoints on its border with Russia to asylum-seekers until 13 December, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday.

He said that the restrictions would come into force at midnight on 30 November, and stressed that the measures were “commensurate with the current situation”. Speaking at a briefing on the new measures, Orpo said that by closing the border, the government hoped to bring Russia’s hybrid activities under control as soon as possible, saying the measure was necessary in the interests of national security.

Finland first closed four of its eight border crossings with Russia on 17 November. The Finnish Border Guard then advised refugees to use the Salla and Vartius checkpoints to apply for asylum.

Last week, Orpo announced the closure of all but one of Finland’s border crossings with Russia. The exception, Raja-Jooseppi, is 250 km from the Arctic city of Murmansk and is the most difficult Finnish border post to reach from Russia.

According to the Finnish Border Guard, the number of people attempting to cross the border illegally from Russia began to increase in August, and has grown sharply in the months since. Some in Finland see the migration crisis as the work of the Kremlin.