Finland has taken the step to close all but one of its eight passenger crossings to Russia due to an unexpected surge in migrant arrivals, a situation the Nordic country attributes to Moscow.
In November alone, more than 600 asylum seekers entered Finland via Russia, a significant increase compared to only a few dozen in September and October. According to border officials, the migrants primarily originated from countries such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria.
Having already closed four border stations last week, Finland, overnight, shut down all remaining passenger crossings with the exception of Raja-Jooseppi, located in the northern Arctic region. This closure will be in effect for a month. Raja-Jooseppi, the northernmost crossing, resumed its operations on Friday at 0800 GMT and will continue to accept asylum applications during its scheduled daily opening hours, as reported by Reuters.
This development adds strain to the Finland-Russia relationship, evident in the closure of the border stations. The ties between the two nations have been deteriorating since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. Finland, concerned about potential Russian aggression, joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in April, becoming the 31st member of the military alliance. This move has contributed to heightened tensions between Finland and Moscow.
Finland has now accused Russia of allegedly encouraging and assisting asylum seekers, mainly from the Middle East and Africa, to reach the Finnish border without proper documentation. This accusation further exacerbates the strained diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring countries.
