In a move to safeguard national security, the government of Finland has decided to close the Raja-Jooseppi border crossing point with Russia, which was the only crossing point open for movement since November 24.
The Raja-Jooseppi border crossing point with Russia will be shut today at midnight, November 30, and the decision means that all land border crossing points between Finland and Russia will be closed until December 13, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
As the Finnish Ministry of Interior explains, starting tomorrow, applications for international protection will no longer be accepted at the land border crossing points between Finland and Russia.
Instead, individuals seeking protection must use open border crossing points designated for air and maritime traffic.
Finland’s decision to close the entire eastern border, made during an extraordinary session on November 28, comes as a response to Russia’s alleged facilitation of people reaching the Finnish border under harsh winter conditions.
Commenting on the closure that aims to curb the escalating challenges posed by instrumentalised migration, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that they want to put an end to this phenomenon.
Russia is enabling the instrumentalisation of people and guiding them to the Finnish border in harsh winter conditions. Finland is determined to put an end to this phenomenon.
The Finnish Minister of Interior, Mari Rantanen, also highlighted the importance of this measure. The same stressed that the decision to close the eastern border entirely has been taken for the sole purpose of protecting the national security of Finland.
In the current situation, it is necessary to close the entire eastern border. We have taken this decision to protect Finland’s national security against this Russian hybrid operation.
Despite previous restrictions, data from the Finnish Ministry of Interior show that entry into Finland at the eastern border has persisted, with almost 1,000 third-country nationals arriving without holding valid visas since August.
The majority of these individuals have sought asylum in Finland, pushing the government to declare these circumstances as exceptional.
Apart from foreign nationals, Finnish citizens are also affected by the closure of the eastern border. They have been required to utilise open border crossing points.
Taking into account the current situation at Finland’s border, Frontex has decided to deploy 50 border guard officers, additional personnel, and a fleet of patrol cars to the country.
By deploying additional staff, Frontex wants to make sure that Finland’s borders are safe.