Finland will close its entire border with Russia over migrant concerns

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Finland has announced the closure of its last remaining border crossing with Russia due to concerns that Moscow is using migrants as part of what is termed “hybrid warfare” to destabilize Finland following its entry into NATO. This decision comes after Finland had already shut seven of the eight checkpoints along its 1,340-kilometer border with Russia earlier this month, in response to a surge in the arrival of migrants from the Middle East and Africa. Helsinki has accused Moscow of directing these migrants toward the Finnish border, spanning from thick forests in the south to the rugged Arctic landscape in the north.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated, “The government has decided to close all the crossing points on the entire eastern border,” emphasizing that Finland perceives this situation as “exceptional” and blames Moscow for orchestrating it. He asserted, “Finland has a profound reason to suspect that the entry (of migrants) is organized by a foreign state. This deals with Russia’s influencing operations, and we won’t accept it. We don’t accept any attempt to undermine our national security. Russia has caused this situation and it can also stop it.”

The complete border closure is expected to last at least two weeks, with the possibility of reopening one crossing point afterward. This means that migrants arriving from Russia will only be able to seek asylum upon reaching Finnish airports or harbors. However, currently, there is no air or passenger boat traffic between Russia and Finland, making these options unavailable.

Russia has denied encouraging migrants to enter Finland and expressed regret over the Finnish border closures. Finnish authorities report that approximately 1,000 migrants without visas or valid documentation have arrived at the border since August, with about 900 of them arriving just this month. These asylum-seekers come from countries including Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Notably, many of these migrants are young men in their 20s and 30s, but there are also families with children and women among them. Most arrived at the border zone on bicycles, reportedly provided and sold to them. The governor of Russia’s northern Murmansk region indicated that there were at least 400 people waiting on the Russian side of the border, with the number expected to increase as Finland continues to close crossing points.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has used the term “hybrid warfare” to describe Russia’s alleged strategy of instrumentalizing migrants to destabilize Finland. Before joining NATO, Finnish officials had warned of potential Russian efforts to destabilize the country, including cyberattacks and facilitating migrant arrivals, similar to what occurred in Finland during the winter of 2015-16.

It’s worth noting that some Western political analysts believe that Russia’s motive may be to create chaos on the EU’s external borders. For years, both Finnish and Russian border authorities had checked for proper documents at the border. However, Finnish officials have observed changes in the checks conducted by Russian guards, allowing foreigners closer to the border.

In response to these developments, Finland has taken decisive measures to safeguard its national security and manage the influx of migrants from its eastern border with Russia.

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• Finland closes last border with Russia over migrant concerns
• Russia accused of using migrants for “hybrid warfare” in Finland
• Finnish Prime Minister’s statement on border closure
• Russian Foreign Ministry’s response to border closures
• Background on Finland’s entry into NATO
• Migrant arrivals from various countries at Finnish border
• Russia’s denial of encouraging migrants to enter Finland
• Finnish Foreign Minister’s interview on “hybrid warfare”
• Analysis of Russia’s motives in the migrant issue
• Changes in border-checking process at Finnish-Russian border
• EU’s concerns about “hybrid warfare” tactics