Amid rising concerns over irregular migration to Finland from Russia, the Finnish government is taking decisive steps to fortify its borders and restrict entry according to News Agency Reuters. In a move to address what it perceives as “instrumentalized migration” – a tactic allegedly employed by Russia to destabilize Finland and the European Union – the Nordic country is constructing new fences, deploying additional guard patrols, drones, and electronic detectors along sections of its border with Russia.
The Finnish parliament is expected to pass new border security measures before its summer recess, granting the government broader powers to control irregular entry. One of the proposed provisions would allow Finland to temporarily restrict the reception of asylum applications in specific border areas for up to a month at a time, under exceptional circumstances posing a serious threat to national security.
According to the proposed legislation, individuals who have already entered Finland irregularly during such periods would be removed and directed to designated locations where asylum applications are being accepted. However, border crossing points may remain open for other types of passenger traffic, depending on the circumstances.
In a statement defending the new measures, Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen from the nationalist Finns Party stated, “Finland cannot just allow the opening of such a new route (for migrants) into Europe. But overall this is not about a migrant route: this is about a situation in which the authorities of another country are helping or even pressing and pushing migrants to Finland’s border.”
The legislative proposal also grants Finnish border guards the authority to push back migrants into Russia without processing asylum applications, enlist thousands of reservists, detect migrants’ phone signals, and send migrants to detention centers.
While the Finnish government maintains that these measures are “essential to maintain national security and ensure Finland is adequately equipped to handle migration challenges orchestrated by external actors,” international rights groups have criticized the move, arguing that it curtails the rights of asylum seekers and migrants.
“This law gravely undermines access to asylum and the protection from refoulement in Finland. It risks serving as a green light for violence and pushbacks at the border,” said Eve Geddie, director of Amnesty International’s European institutions office.
In addition to the proposed legislation, Finland has already taken steps to restrict border crossings with Russia. In April, the government announced that its land border with Russia would remain closed indefinitely, along with the closure of sea crossings on various islands and ports, citing concerns over a potential increase in irregular maritime crossings brought by favorable spring weather.
As Finland grapples with the influx of migrants from its eastern neighbor, the country’s actions have sparked debates around border security, national sovereignty, and the rights of asylum seekers, reflecting the complex challenges faced by nations navigating the intricate dynamics of migration and geopolitical tensions.