Falconpowers – Finland has extended the closure of its 1,340-kilometer-long land border with Russia, which was originally implemented at the end of last year following an influx of asylum seekers.
The border was scheduled to reopen on April 14th, but authorities have decided to extend the closure until further notice due to concerns about waves of asylum seekers entering the country.
The Finnish Ministry of the Interior stated in a post on its website that the decision was made due to concerns about the illegal entry of migrants into the country from Russia. It also asserted that Russia exploits the immigration issue and uses it as a weapon against Finland, adding that the risk of a resumption of this type of migration remains possible.
Finland closed its land border with Russia late last year after a significant influx of asylum seekers. The number of asylum seekers arriving in Finland increased after the country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Most of the migrants come from the Middle East and Africa, particularly Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen. The majority of them seek asylum in Finland, a country with a population of 5.6 million and a member of the European Union.
The Finnish government, led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, has repeatedly extended the closure of border checkpoints. Finland accuses Russia of exploiting this issue and directing migrants towards the Finnish border, which is heavily guarded as it also serves as an external border of the European Union.
