Finland has announced it will extend its border closure with Russia for another month due to suspicions that Russia is trying to undermine security in Northern Europe by sending illegal immigrants across the border.
HELSINKI — Finland announced Thursday it will extend its border closure with Russia for another month over suspicions that Russia is trying to undermine security in Northern Europe by sending illegal migrants across the border.
Finland closed its borders late last year after 1,300 migrants without proper documents or visas arrived across the border since September. This was an unusually high number just months after Finland joined the NATO alliance.
Finland has accused Russia of deliberately directing migrants to its normally tightly controlled border. The Kremlin denied the allegations and said he regretted the closure of Finland’s borders.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen told a news conference in Helsinki that the closure will last until February 11, adding that authorities believe Russia’s operation to manipulate illegal migrants continues.
“There are people in neighboring areas waiting for the border to open,” Rantanen said.
The migrants who arrived late last year are mainly from the Middle East and Africa, particularly Syria, Somalia and Yemen, with the majority seeking asylum in Finland. They are currently being held at migrant reception centers across the country pending a decision from authorities.
Many people in Finland characterize Russia’s actions as retaliation against the Nordic countries, which joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) last April, but Finnish security experts say Russia He said the main motive behind the immigration operation remains unclear.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government initially opted to close the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) border in November, citing security concerns and Russia’s “hybrid warfare.” Two selected checkpoints were then opened in eastern and northern Finland on a trial basis, but the influx of migrants continued.
Since December 15, all eight Finnish-Russian border crossings have been closed to passengers. The South East Railway checkpoint for freight trains at Vainikkala remains open for now.
Finland, with a population of 5.6 million, serves as the northern outer border of the European Union and is an important part of NATO’s northeastern flank.
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