Colonel Mikko Lehmus from the Finnish Border Guard reacted at a news conference in Helsinki on Tuesday, 12 December, alongside Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen (PS). The Finnish government has decided to re-open two but extend the closure of other border-crossing points on the border between Finland and Russia. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)
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THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT on Tuesday announced it will extend the closure of all but two border-crossing points on the border between Finland and Russia, Niirala and Vaalimaa.
The latter will re-open for travel at midnight and the former at 8am on Thursday, 14 December. Unless the government makes an overriding decision, they will remain the only border-crossing points on the eastern border that are open for travel until 14 January 2024.
The two points were selected based, on the one hand, on national security considerations and, on the one other, the need for cross-border travel, Colonel Mikko Lehmus from the Finnish Border Guard, revealed at a news conference in Helsinki on Tuesday. The points, he highlighted, are important for some diplomatic corps, for people with family on both sides of the border and for certain cargo transport operations.
Had the government not made a decision on travel across the eastern border, the entire border would have re-opened for travel on Thursday.
“Without easing the restrictions, we can’t ascertain whether there’ll be a change for the better. If the phenomenon [of weaponised migration] continues, we’ll close these border-crossing points,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said on Tuesday.
Orpo said the government was unanimous in its decision to start re-opening the border gradually, “under the principle of caution, deliberately, proportionately and legally” because there is an “extremely high” likelihood that Russia will continue to weaponise migrants against Finland.
The Finnish government closed the entire eastern border two weeks ago in response to a surge in the number of people arriving from Russia.
About 1,000 asylum applicants arrived at the border during the autumn. The Finnish Border Guard on Monday reported that not a single asylum applicant has arrived at the border since the closure of all border-crossing points on 30 November.
Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen (PS) emphasised that Russian officials’ actions, the weaponisation of migration and influence campaigns continue to pose a threat to national security in Finland.
“The objective of this activity has been and continues to be to de-stabilise public security in our country and create divisions in our society,” she argued.
She added that the government is ready to either re-open additional border-crossing points if the situation at the border remains calm or close the entire border if it appears that the weaponisation of migrants continues.
“We want to make it clear that going to the eastern border isn’t worthwhile. You shouldn’t believe the stories of smugglers or participate in the activities of Russian officials,” she said.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
