Finland shuts border crossings with Russia, leaving only one open
Finland is set to close more border crossings with Russia. The decision is driven by a wave of migrants seeking to enter the country. The Raja-Jooseppi passage in Finnish Lapland will become the only border crossing open to asylum seekers.
3:51 PM EST, November 23, 2023
Finland is preparing to seal nearly all its border passages with Russia to asylum seekers. The only exception will be the crossing at Raja-Jooseppi in Lapland. The other currently active road crossings with Russia are scheduled to shut down on Friday night.
Raja-Jooseppi, a small and northernmost border crossing in Lapland's Inari province, stands unaffected by the decision.
From the beginning of November, migrants mainly from the Middle East and North Africa have been arriving in Finland. This led to the closing of several crossings in the southern part of the country a few days ago. However, new arrivals from Russia began appearing in the country's north.
"The situation is getting worse. Evidence suggests that Russian services are funneling more migrants towards Finland," warned Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
Prime Minister Orpo has indicated that Russian authorities have not taken actions to alleviate the surge of illegal immigrants from third countries like the Middle East or Africa. Instead, Orpo alleges that Russia is facilitating such movements.
The Finnish government holds Russia responsible for moving immigrants to Finland. As of last Friday, nearly 100 immigrants from Russia have arrived and applied for asylum, according to Finnish authorities. The land border between Finland and Russia spans over 808 miles.
