Finland to Slash Border Crossings with Russia by Half 🚚🛎️
Get ready to see fewer Finnish border crossings with Russia starting this weekend. Finland's Interior Minister, Mari Rantanen, revealed that four key crossings at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra, and Niirala would be temporarily shuttered. The move comes as the nation grapples with rising security concerns and migratory pressures from areas like the Middle East and Africa.
Finland has become the latest European nation to tighten its border controls due to the influx of asylum seekers seeking to enter Finland via Russia without proper documentation. The steady increase in migrants from hotspots such as Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia has strained Finland's border security and asylum processing systems.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo shared that Finland sought to put a halt to this phenomenon, aiming to restore normalcy to border activities. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer land border with Russia, a relationship that has been strained since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2002. Evidently, tensions between the neighboring nations have continued to escalate ever since.
To further bolster its border security, Finland is in the process of constructing a 200-kilometer-long fence along its Finnish-Russian border. The project is due to be completed by 2026, aimed at addressing migration pressures and providing additional safeguards.
Despite Russia's criticism of Finland's NATO membership as a threat to its own security, border crossings near the Russia-Finland border will witness fewer activities this weekend. In the same vein, Finland will fortify its 200-kilometer-long border fence, aiming to restore "half" of normal border activity.
Finland's border tightening effort coincides with Russia's military buildup as retaliation for Finland and Sweden's decision to join NATO. With Russia setting up 12 military units and divisions in western regions and deploying Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus, tensions between the two nations have hardly dissipated.
Sources:
Enrichment Insights:
- Migration pressures – An influx of asylum seekers from places like Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen attempting to enter Finland through Russia without documentation has put a strain on Finland’s border security and asylum processing systems.
- Security Concerns – With Finland's rapid move to join the NATO alliance, the country has been consistently ramping up its network of shelters and bunkers, preparing to accommodate up to a million residents and guests. This is part of Finland's long-standing security measures that have been heightened in response to Russia's aggressive actions.
- NATO Membership – Finland's decision to fortify its border with Russia is also a result of the country's shift from neutrality to increased security measures in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Finnish parliament ratified measures for barrier construction and border closure under exceptional circumstances, reflecting this shift.
- Drone Wall Initiative – To further enhance border security, NATO members on the Russian border, including Finland, have agreed to create a "drone wall" to defend against possible provocations, utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and other relevant technologies.
