Finnish borders close again due to migrant surge from Russia, just hours after reopening
6:56 AM EST, December 15, 2023
The enforced closure is scheduled for 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Friday and is set to last for a month, until mid-January.
- It's a necessary measure to manage the situation at the border - said Minister of Interior, Mari Rantanen, at a press conference in Helsinki. According to her, there is evidence that the migrant influx "has begun to intensify once more". - The surge appears to be driven by forces from another state or similar, - Rantanen emphasized, alluding to the reports from Finnish services.
On the first day of the temporary opening of two southern border crossings on Thursday, dozens of new migrants intending to seek asylum arrived at Finnish checkpoints.
The highest influx was at the Niirala crossing in Northern Karelia, from the direction of Petrozavodsk, which was open from 1 AM to 1 PM Eastern Time, receiving about 50 people. Meanwhile, the 24-hour Vaalima crossing, from the direction of St. Petersburg, recorded about 20 arrivals.
- The majority of the migrants are young men - noted the border guards.
Continuation of Russian services' practice
Over the day, the border saw over 1300 travelers, close to 800 of whom were headed toward Russia.
- We wanted to understand how easing the border restrictions would change the situation. Regrettably, the usual Russian services' practices continue - answered Minister Rantanen, when asked why the government elected to partially open the border on Thursday, only to immediately shut it down again.
This fall, nearly 1000 migrants, primarily from the Middle East and North Africa, have reached the Finnish border from Russia without the necessary documents.
