Finland decides to keep border with Russia closed

The Finnish government announced today its decision to keep the country's eastern border with neighboring Russia closed until further notice.

Finland closed its land border with Russia at the end of 2023 amid a growing number of arrivals from countries such as Syria and Somalia.

Helsinki has accused Moscow of exploiting migration against the Nordic nation as a way to retaliate for Finland's NATO membership, a charge the Kremlin denies.

"The risk that the instrumentalization of migration will be repeated and expanded, as has happened in the past, remains possible," the government announced.

As Helsinki stressed, the official will regularly assess the situation and will abolish or change the border regime if it determines that there is no "serious threat to national security or public order . "

Finland has also imposed an emergency law that allows it to reject asylum requests from migrants crossing its closed eastern border with Russia and turn them back. (A2 Televizion)