“A serious threat.” Finland closes the main border crossings with Russia

These are the four main border crossings on the border between Finland and Russia, namely near the cities of Virolahti, Lappeenranta, Imatra and in North Karelia in Niirala.

The points are closed on the night from Friday to Saturday. The restrictions apply until February 18, 2024.

Migrants storm the Finnish borders

“When these border crossings are closed, no one, including Finnish citizens, will be able to cross the border through these crossings. People who want to cross the border will have to go to the northern border points,” said the head of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior. , Maria Rantanen. “There are indications that sending third-country nationals to Finland is the action of a foreign state or other entities. This is a serious threat to public order and national security,” she said.

The reception points for asylum applications will be the border crossings in Kuhmo and Salla. “The administration is prepared for any situation at the border, and the recent events at the eastern border are an organized action. Finland, as a member of the European Union and recently also a member of NATO, has resisted the Russian armed attack on Ukraine,” said the country’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The government in Helsinki has been raising the alarm for several days because the Kremlin is helping groups of several dozen migrants from Africa and the Middle East to reach the Finnish border.

Border crossings. Latvia has decided

In October, the Latvian government decided to close two border crossings with Russia – Vientuli and Pededze – to prevent “a threat to the country’s internal security”. Previously, Moscow decided that Ukrainian citizens over the age of 14 will be allowed to cross the border only via one land crossing – Vientuli – on the Latvian-Russian border. Previously, it was possible to get from Latvia to the Russian Federation via seven border crossings.

Latvian authorities said that as a result of the Kremlin’s action, conditions could arise at the border that would have a significant impact on public order and pose a threat to national security.