Finland will close its entire border with Russia to travellers for the next two weeks in a bid to halt a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, the government has said.
Finland last week shut all but one of its remaining border posts to travellers from Russia, keeping open only the northernmost crossing located in the Arctic. But this too would now close, allowing only goods transport, the government said.
Some 900 asylum seekers from nations including Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have entered Finland from Russia this month, an increase from less than one per day previously, according to the Finnish Border Guard.
The decision means only freight traffic can pass between the two countries, Finland's border guard said.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the closure would come into effect overnight between Wednesday and Thursday and last until 13 December.
Helsinki says Moscow is funnelling people to the border in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the US, a charge the Kremlin denies.
Finland infuriated Russia earlier this year when it joined NATO, ending decades of military non-alignment, due to the war in Ukraine.
"This is Russia's influence operation and we do no accept it," Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told a press conference.
The influx of migrants on its border has pushed Finland to balance its national security with its international obligations.
Already last week, the government sought to completely shut the border but the proposal was blocked as disproportionate by Finland's Chancellor of Justice.
While the border can be closed in exceptional circumstances it has to be proportionate and some access points for asylum seekers have to be ensured.
Despite being a drastic measure, the government's proposal to restrict asylum seekers to ports and airports passed scrutiny, and was backed by officials citing intelligence on increasing migration.
Asked whether Finland would let migrants endure freezing conditions without granting them entry across the border, Mr Orpo said that "without the changed policy of the Russian authorities, this phenomenon would not exist".
"We trust the border guard's judgement and ability to respond to different situations," Mr Orpo said.
Finland will close its entire border with Russia to travellers for the next two weeks in a bid to halt a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, the government has said.
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context:
orcs were using the vorder to smuggle their agents and to allow the individuals who committed crimes during russian invasion of Ukraine to run away. Also, russian-belarussian operation with use of imported "refugees" has been moved to North after a fiasco against Poland and Lithuania few weeks ago. Now they are trying to push with the illegal immigrants on Estonian and Fin borders.
