Decisive response from Helsinki: A clear message to Russia
"We have a clear message for Russia. This must stop. This is a hybrid attack and a matter of national security," stated Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, on Friday. Finland has decided to close border crossings with Russia. Only one remains open - in the far north.
"The migrants who have arrived at our eastern border in recent weeks are tools in a hybrid operation. A state entity is behind this. We have a clear message for Russia. This must stop. This is a hybrid attack and a matter of national security," reiterated Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
Speaking after a meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina in Helsinki, the head of the Finnish government emphasized that in both countries' situations, asylum seekers were being used instrumentally.
The current situation at the Finnish border echoes what we have been experiencing for the second year now, the Latvian politician conceded, suggesting that this phenomenon is not a question of asylum policy, but a "Russian-Belarusian hybrid operation."
The major Finnish media outlets highlight that the Baltic countries and Poland have adopted a significantly different approach to the inflow of illegal immigrants from the Middle East or Africa than Finland. These countries deny entry to asylum seekers attempting to cross their borders from Belarus and implement a "pushback" policy.
According to the Finnish press, the priority under these policies is the safeguarding of national security, rather than adherence to international human rights standards and ensuring the right of every newcomer to apply for asylum.
The initial plan of the Finnish right-wing government to close the entire eastern border was halted by the chancellor of justice, a constitutional body tasked with monitoring the work of senior officials and reviewing legal act projects, this week.
Only one border crossing open
As of Friday, only one border crossing with Russia is operational in Finland. It is located in the most northern province of Lapland, in Inari. The control point, Raja-Jooseppi, which leads to Murmansk, is currently the only place accepting asylum applications at the eastern border. The crossing is open for only four hours daily during winter conditions.
On Friday, only three migrants managed to cross over to the Finnish side, as reported by the STT agency.
Since the beginning of November, when large numbers of migrants without proper documentation began to arrive from Russia, around 800 people have arrived, with most of them arriving within the past two weeks.
The Finnish government decided on Friday that new arrivals will be placed in special centers to undergo biometric identification before being admitted to asylum centers. According to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, the increasing stream of illegal immigrants from Russia raises the risk that potentially dangerous individuals, including those charged with crimes, members of criminal groups, or soldiers disguised in civilian clothing, may be among them.
