Finland imposes border restrictions at common border crossing points with Russia to deter asylum seekers.
The Finnish Border Guard Service announced on Friday that border restrictions will come into force from midnight local time. President Sauli Niinisto has suggested this is one way Russia is trying to respond to Helsinki’s decision to join NATO.
Matti Pitkaniitty said the move is a response to changes in Russia’s border policy: “Our aim is to use barrier devices to prevent entry.”
On Thursday, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said the authorities decided to react decisively to Moscow’s “organized activities,” indicating that they “have acted decisively and promptly in order not to have the situation deteriorate.”
However, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Ivanov rejected the “very strange” allegations and said Moscow would “get to the bottom,” TASS reported.
Finland shares a border with Russia with eight checkpoints, the busiest of which – Niirala, Vaalimaa, Imatra and Nuijamaa – are closed.
