Nov 14, 2023 at 7:58 PM Update: an hour ago
Finland has recently seen an increasing number of asylum seekers from third countries arriving through border crossings with Russia. Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen reported this on Tuesday. According to Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Russia would help the refugees with their journey to Finland.
The Finns share a border of more than 1,300 kilometers with Russia. That is also one of the external borders of the European Union. Minister Rantanen says that a proposal is being drawn up to act more effectively in the event of problems at the border. The authorities could then be given more powers to restrict border traffic or close border crossings.
Finland announced on Tuesday that around sixty asylum seekers had arrived via Russia since Monday morning. That’s according to BBC News compared to 91 transitions in the four months to last Monday. According to Rantanen, the Russian authorities are applying a new policy and are now also allowing asylum seekers through without valid papers.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo lashed out at Russia at a press conference. There, the authorities would help the asylum seekers with their journey to Finland. “It is clear that these people are receiving help. They are also being escorted or transported to the border by border guards,” the government chief told the media. Russian authorities have not yet responded to that accusation.
Earlier this year, Finland started building a fence of about 200 kilometers along the border with Russia to stop migrants from Russia. The fence should be ready by the end of 2026.
It would not be the first time that neighboring countries of the EU appear to be allowing migrants to pass on a large scale to exert political pressure. In 2021, Belarus, an ally of Russia, was accused by Europe of deliberately creating a migration crisis by flying in and forwarding asylum seekers.
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2023-11-14 18:58:00
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