Finland’s parliament on Friday (12) approved a law that gives border guards the power to block the passage of asylum seekers from Russia, after more than 1,300 people arrived in the country. The capital Helsinki was reportedly forced to close its border.
Finland has accused neighboring Russia of weaponizing immigration by encouraging scores of migrants from countries including Syria and Somalia to cross the border. The Kremlin denies the claim.
The country believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Finland joining NATO, which supports Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s right-wing government said the bill was vital to deter future arrivals, despite the law being at odds with Finland’s international human rights commitments.
“This is a strong message to Russia, a strong message to our allies, that Finland takes care of its own security, and we take care of the security of the European Union’s border,” Orpo said at a press conference after the law was voted on.
More than 1,300 asylum seekers have crossed from Russia since last summer, but there have been no new arrivals since March until Thursday (11).
The Finnish Border Guard issued a statement after the parliamentary vote saying a person crossed the border illegally on Thursday (11) and when caught by a border guard, applied for asylum. Finland has closed its land borders with Russia at the end of 2023.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said at the press conference following the bill’s approval that no decision had been made on when to reopen border crossings with Russia.
Finland’s move is similar to measures taken in recent years in other European countries, including Poland and Lithuania, to make it harder for migrants to cross the border into Russia and Russian ally Belarus.
The Finnish bill passed with 167 votes in favor, 31 against and one abstention. To pass, the proposal needed a two-thirds majority of the votes cast in the 200-seat parliament.
Orpo warned migrants thinking of heading to Europe via Russia not to embark. “Don’t go with the smugglers,” he told a news conference. “Finland takes care of its borders. Border access orchestrated by Russia will not lead to access to Finland or Europe.”
Moscow denied any such intention. The Russian embassy in Helsinki did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: CNN Brasil
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