The Government of Finland has extended the decision to close land border crossing points with Russia, the term of which was supposed to expire on April 15.
This was reported by the press service of the Finnish government.
In addition, the Hapasaari border crossing, Nuyimaa port and Santio waterway will be closed to pleasure boat traffic from April 15.
The government explained that in this way they are preparing for the fact that Russiaʼs use of migration as a means of pressure on Finlandʼs security may also extend to water transport.
"This would be dangerous for those trying to get ashore and would increase the burden on maritime rescue services," it said.
What is happening on the Russian-Finnish border
In recent years, Finland has been preparing for the fact that Russia will send a large number of asylum seekers to the border. The Russians have already done this on the Finnish border during the migration crisis of 2015.
In November 2023, border guards began to report that an unusually large number of people who did not have entry documents were trying to enter Finland through the checkpoints on the southeastern border. On November 15, the Prime Minister of Finland stated that Russia helps illegal migrants enter the country, including citizens of the Russian Federation, countries of the Middle East and Africa. Due to this surge in illegal migration, Finland decided to close border crossings on the border with Russia.
The Minister of the Interior of Finland Marie Rantanen called the situation at the border a threat to national security.