Finland will extend the closure of its eastern border with Russia until February 11 as the threat of illegal immigration continues. Helsinki blames the Nordic interior ministry, Moscow. announced Thursday.
The ministry said it has received information that migrants from third countries remain on the Russian side of the border, waiting to cross once the border reopens.
In a statement announcing the extension of the closure, Finland’s Interior Ministry said it was “clear that Russian authorities or other actors are facilitating migration by means” and that international criminal groups are also involved.
“Based on the information collected by the authorities, it is very likely that Russia’s hybrid influence operations will resume and expand as we have just seen,” Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said in a statement.
The Russian government denies using asylum seekers to carry out hybrid attacks against Finland.
He also warned that if Finland changed its long-standing policy of non-alignment to join NATO in April, it would lead to “countermeasures.”
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the Finnish government would “rescind or amend” the decision once the threat to national security and public order subsides.
Helsinki added: “We are also considering other ways to put an end to this phenomenon.”
Meanwhile, asylum seekers are unable to submit claims for international protection at any transit point along the 1,340-kilometre border between Finland and Russia.
Last month, Finland closed its border with Russia until January 14, citing a sharp increase in asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa.