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Helsinki accuses Moscow of funnelling asylum seekers to the border in retaliation for its conclusion to join NATO.
Finland will shut its total border with Russia to travellers for the upcoming two months in a bid to halt the unusually massive circulation of asylum seekers to the Nordic country, which the authorities and its allies say is an orchestrated go by Moscow.
Finland last week shut all but one of its border posts to travellers from Russia, maintaining open up only the northernmost Raja-Jooseppi crossing located in the Arctic. But this crossing would now close, the government mentioned on Tuesday.
Roughly 900 asylum seekers from nations like Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen have entered Finland from Russia this month, an raise from less than a single for each day beforehand, according to Finnish authorities.
Helsinki suggests Moscow is funnelling people today to the border in retaliation for its final decision to maximize defence cooperation with the United States, a demand the Kremlin has denied.
Finland joined NATO before this calendar year, ending a long time of military services non-alignment, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“This is Russia’s influence operation and we do no accept it,” Key Minister Petteri Orpo explained to a information meeting.
On Monday, he explained his country experienced intelligence data on Russian authorities assisting the asylum seekers and that regardless of Finnish border closures, there were even now far more people heading in the direction of Finland in Russia.
On Monday, three asylum seekers arrived in Finland through the distant Raja-Jooseppi station, the previous open border submit, and on Tuesday there were being no entrants.
The border station will keep on being open up on Wednesday prior to closing until December 13, the govt stated.
Finland’s ombudsman for non-discrimination past 7 days stated the remote area of Raja-Jooseppi prompted worries that Helsinki was jeopardising the proper to search for asylum.
Asylum seekers will be minimal to implementing for safety at “open border crossing details for air and maritime traffic”, that means ports and airports, authorities claimed.
A railway crossing between Russia and Finland would remain open but for cargo targeted traffic only.
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