Last week, Finland announced its decision to close four border crossings with Russia beginning midnight on 17 November in response to accusations that Russian officials had allowed an increasing number of undocumented asylum seekers to enter the Finnish border.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen accused Russia of purposely directing migrants into the border zone as a kind of “hybrid warfare,” and said he would speak with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and the EU about the situation.
Finland Closes Four Border Crossings with Russia
Finland is a member of the EU and joined NATO in April after decades of non-alignment, as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland and Russia share a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border.
The Finnish Border Guard said barriers will be installed at the border posts of Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra, and Niirala in south-east Finland from 17 November onwards. These crossing points witnessed increased illegal crossings by citizens of countries such as Syria, Yemen, and Iraq.
Finnish PM Petteri Orpo accused Russia of deliberately assisting individuals without proper documentation in crossing the border. While confirming the closure of the four border crossings, Orpo stated that the ones at Salla and Vartius in Finland’s extreme north will stay open for asylum applications.
Orpo stated that they are continuously monitoring the situation along the border and are fully prepared to implement further limitations on a fast schedule. He emphasised that Russia is responsible for the issue, saying, “Finland should be concerned that neighbouring Russia has behaved erratically for a long time.”
Russian authorities are bringing migrants from Iraq, Syria, Somalia and other countries to the border between Finland and Russia
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 20, 2023
The Finnish Border Guard Service reports that 35 migrants have already arrived at the Salla checkpoint. This is one of the two checkpoints where you… pic.twitter.com/pMCX2emRpY
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto claimed that deporting applicants who failed to meet the asylum criteria was becoming difficult. “Deportation of migrants who don’t meet the criteria for asylum has become impossible, so entering the border means you stay in that country if you want to,” he said.
“It is impossible that each country just by itself tries to take care of the situation which might break out in a neighbouring country immediately afterwards,” Niinisto stated.
Accusations against Russia
The Finnish Border Guard said there has been a rise in the number of people crossing from Russia into southeast Finland without valid documentation in recent months.
Reports indicate that from the end of August until the weekend, 91 migrants have arrived, with the Border Guard reporting 39 more and Finnish media reporting more than 50 arriving on Monday, many on brand-new bicycles.
According to the Border Guard, the migrants are mostly Iraqis, Syrians, Turks, and Somalis.
#Finland is preparing to close its four remaining checkpoints on the border with #Russia on the night of November 21-22 - Finnish media. pic.twitter.com/Nz1ffr1q25
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 20, 2023
“In recent months, the actions of the Russian authorities, at least on the border with southeastern Finland, have changed in such a way that, unlike before, they have allowed travel despite lack of documents,” the Border Guard confirmed.
Finnish officials have been warned that Russia may send more migrants across its longest land border with the EU as part of a hybrid strategy to overwhelm the Finns, a method Moscow has already used.
In January and February 2016, around 1,000 migrants arrived at an Arctic border base between Finland and Russia. Finnish officials suspect Russian authorities assisted the arrivals by providing bus transportation and hotel accommodations on their way north, with people given instructions to claim asylum once they crossed the border.
Reportedly, this incident was primarily regarded as Russia’s first and most effective hybrid strike on an EU member state till now.
However, Finnish PM Orpo refused to comment on whether this was an example of hybrid influence. “We have no information on whether the arrivals have been encouraged to the border, but it is clear that they are being helped. They have been escorted and transported,” he said.
Russia’s Response
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Russia is deeply upset by Finland’s decision to potentially close all remaining border crossings. “It causes nothing but deep regret, since we had long-standing, very good relations with Finland, pragmatic, based on mutual respect.”
"Finland has chosen the path of confrontation with Russia. From the Kremlin’s point of view, this is a big mistake," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) November 17, 2023
Peskov claimed, “We regret that these relations have been replaced by an entirely Russophobic position, which the leaders of this neighbouring country have now begun to adhere to. Regretfully, this is the situation we are in today.”
Additionally, Peskov also refuted Finland’s claim that Russia was purposely driving illegal migrants to the border, stressing that Russian border guards were carrying out their duties in line with the rules.
The Kremlin spokesperson said, “We don’t accept such accusations. Naturally, border crossings are used by the people who have the legal right to cross the border.”
“Russia has never in modern history threatened Finland, we had no reason for any confrontation. Now they have chosen this path. From our point of view, this is a big mistake,” Peskov asserted.
Furthermore, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Finland’s decision to close border crossings with Russia establishes new dividing lines in Europe, and that the government agencies in Moscow will respond to these actions accordingly.