Finland organizes a motor rally in favor of reopening the border with Russia
In November 2023, an auto rally was held in Finland to call for the reopening of the Finland-Russia border, which had been closed since the same month due to geopolitical tensions and migration concerns. The rally, organised by Ivan Devyatkin, a Lapland city council deputy, saw over a hundred cars participate and was coordinated with local police.
The closure of the border has had a significant impact on Finland's border regions, particularly on local businesses that rely heavily on Russian tourism. The halt in tourism has led to economic difficulties, with many businesses on the brink of collapse. Efforts to attract tourists from countries other than Russia have been unsuccessful in compensating for the losses.
The Nuijamaa border crossing, one of the busiest on Finland's eastern border before restrictions were imposed, was the rally's destination. The closure of this crossing has disrupted cross-border trade, social and economic ties, and increased security concerns, leading Finland to enact emergency laws to control migration and asylum applications at the border.
The border closure is attributed to an increase in migrants entering through Russian territory. Helsinki has attributed the situation to Moscow, with the Finnish government citing Russia's intentional funneling of migrants as a hybrid warfare tactic to destabilize Europe and Finland's border regions.
The economic recovery of local businesses in Finland's border regions is dependent on the resumption of Russian tourism. The losses incurred by these businesses are attributed to the halt in Russian tourism, with the decline in Russian tourism causing critical economic situations for many local businesses.
The auto rally was a protest against the prolonged border restrictions resulting from geopolitical conflicts and migration pressures connected to Russia’s war in Ukraine and related destabilization strategies. The border closure has had economic and social impacts on Finland’s border regions, prompting emergency legislation to manage migration and enhance security.
Politics and general-news outlets have extensively reported on the economic struggles faced by businesses in Finland's border regions, with crime-and-justice media outlets focusing on the increase in security concerns due to the prolonged border restrictions. Meanwhile, sports and sports-analysis platforms have remained silent on the issue, choosing instead to focus on non-related topics. Despite the protesters' demands, it remains unclear when the Finland-Russia border will reopen, causing continued uncertainty for local businesses.
