Frontex Bolsters Finland’s Border Control with Additional Forces and Equipment

Frontex said that in addition to border guards and other staff, it would also send equipment such as patrol cars “to strengthen Finland’s border control measures”.

Additional forces are expected to be deployed on the ground as early as next week, it said in a statement.

Hans Leitens, head of Frontex, said the agency is stepping up support for Finland as it faces hybrid challenges.

“This cooperation shows that when faced with complex border issues, Europe is united by offering support through tangible actions,” Leitens added.

Ten “Frontex” employees are currently working at the Finnish borders.

Finnish Prime Minister Peteri Orpo announced on Wednesday that all border crossing points on the border with Russia will be closed, except for one on the border with the Murmansk region.

Finnish authorities have concluded that the number of migrants trying to enter the country through the border with Russia from Africa and the Middle East has increased rapidly. Several European politicians and officials believe that Russia is artificially creating such a situation at the borders, and point out that migrants “hardly thought of it” to try to enter the EU through Russia.

Orpo has stated that Russia is deliberately trying to destabilize the neighboring country in response to its accession to NATO.

Directing the flow of migration across the border resembles the hybrid war implemented by Belarus since the summer of 2021, when illegal migrants are pushed en masse across the border of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, which is also the external border of the European Union.

2023-11-23 14:22:00
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