Newly built border fence at the border between Finland and Russia near the Nuijamaa border crossing point in Lappeenranta, Eastern Finland on May 21, 2025. Finland will build a fence on the border to Russia. The total fenced area will be of 200 km and placed in different strategic points. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finland has completed the initial 35 kilometres of a new border fence with Russia, part of a larger project to increase border security and prevent irregular migration, the Finnish Border Guard confirmed on Wednesday.
The structure, located near the closed border crossing at Nuijamaa, is the first section of a 200 km barrier that will be built along parts of the 1,344 km Finnish-Russian border. The fence, standing 4.5 metres tall, features metal railings, a roll of barbed wire, and is fitted with surveillance equipment including cameras, sensors, and loudspeakers.
Construction began last year after Finland accused Russia of facilitating irregular migration through the border in 2023. That year, roughly 1,300 migrants from countries including Syria and Somalia crossed from Russia and sought asylum in Finland. Authorities in Helsinki claim these movements were deliberately enabled by Russian authorities in response to Finland’s NATO membership.
“The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland,” said Antti Virta, deputy commander of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District.
Russia has denied involvement, saying it regrets Finland’s decision to shut all eight passenger border crossings indefinitely. Moscow called the closure a sign of Finland adopting an “anti-Russian stance.”
Since the closure was enforced at the end of 2023, irregular border crossings have nearly ceased. Nonetheless, Finnish officials insist the fence is needed to secure the border and deter future incidents.
“The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security,” said Samuel Siljanen, Head of Operations at the Finnish Border Guard. “It improves our ability to perform border surveillance and to act if there’s a disruption or incident at the border.”
The move has drawn criticism from international observers. The European Court of Human Rights has requested that Finland justify the indefinite closure. Last year, Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe, warned that the restrictions risk violating international law, including bans on refoulement and collective expulsion.
Despite the legal challenges, construction will continue. The entire 200 km section is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The rest of the border will continue to be monitored through patrols and electronic surveillance.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
