(Bloomberg) — Finland has decided to keep its border with Russia closed for another four weeks, saying there is still a risk of migrants returning to checkpoints.
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Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said at a press conference on Thursday that all eight border stations on the Finland-Russia border will be closed until February 11. The new decision followed a month-long shutdown that was scheduled to expire Sunday.
“National security is an important issue for Finland and it transcends everything,” she said. “The threat of Russian hybrid operations remains.”
She said the government was considering “alternative ways” to thwart Russia’s hybrid influence.
Finland first closed some border crossings in mid-November to prevent Russian-backed asylum seekers from entering the border. Finland calls this a hybrid operation. The Nordic country gradually expanded the measures until Nov. 30, when it closed its entire border. Russia then briefly tested its response by reopening some border posts, but they were closed again once the flow of migrants resumed.
Read more: Finland to close Russia border again in sudden reversal
Finland sees the phenomenon as a national security threat masterminded by Moscow, and says asylum seekers are being helped to checkpoints by Russian authorities without all the necessary travel documents. Russia’s objective appears to be to put pressure on new members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Finland protects a 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) border with Russia, the longest stretch of the alliance facing its main adversary.
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