HELSINKI: Finland will extend the closure of its border crossing points with Russia beyond the current April 14 deadline “until further notice” due to high risk of organised migration orchestrated by Moscow, the Finnish government has said. The Finland Interior Ministry said in a statement that the Nordic country’s national security and public order would come under serious threat if the estimated hundreds of third-country nationals were to continue to attempt to enter from Russia without proper documentation.
“Based on information provided by public authorities, the risk that instrumentalized migration (by Russia) will resume and expand as seen previously remains likely,” the ministry said.
Finland closed the 1,340-kilometre land border late last year after more than 1,300 migrants without proper documentation or visas entered the country in the three months since September, not long after Finland joined the NATO alliance.
Most of the migrants hail from West Asia and Africa, from countries including Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. The vast majority of them have sought asylum in Finland, a European Union member state with a population of 5.6 million.
The Finnish Border Guard earlier said that many migrants hold valid visas for working or studying or have a residence permit in Russia, which is considered a safe country.
Accusing Russia of deliberately ushering migrants to the normally heavily guarded Russia-Finland border zone that serves also as the EU’s external border in the north, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has extended the closure of checkpoints several times.
All eight Finland-Russia land border crossing points for people have been closed since December 15. The southeastern rail checkpoint for cargo trains in Vainikkala remains open but the government said on Thursday it would close three maritime checkpoints starting April 15.
Migrants can continue to seek asylum in Finland, part of EU´s passport-free Schengen zone, at Finnish airports and harbours, the government said.
“There are hundreds and possibly thousands of people close to Finland’s border on the Russian side that could be instrumentalized against Finland,” Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said. “Instrumentalized migration is one way that Russia can put pressure on and affect the security and social stability of Finland and the EU.”
With inputs from AP
