Границы | Who and how violates the Russian-Finnish border

Two A few years ago, a unique visitor came to the village of Parikkala. It was 19 часов 15 минут, usual пятничный июлский вечер.

This was a middle-aged man who had illegally crossed the Russian-Finnish border a few hours earlier, remaining unnoticed by the patrols of both countries. Before that, according to his words, he got from Saint Petersburg to the border for more than a week: on foot and by bicycle.

“The man told our employee that he wanted to file a request for asylum and asked him to call the authorities here,” says Iouni Suppolawho at that time was the owner of this shop.

“Our employee offered him coffee, but he took tea and tried to pay with rubles. Но его угостили бесплатно. The man was absolutely calm and waited for the border guards to arrive.”

Soon he told during interrogation – why he illegally crossed the eastern border of Finland and how he managed to do it without the authorities’ knowledge.

About cases unsanctioned crossing of the border becomes known regularly. The Border Guard usually reports on such facts, but the history of such crossings rarely becomes public.

Now – because of the war – the issue of illegal border crossings became especially relevant.

HS journalists were able to familiarize themselves with some of the materials of the preliminary investigation of the Border Guard of South-Eastern Finland. They contain, in particular, the stories of the violators themselves about how they crossed the border and how they were caught.

Among them is the case of this unusual shopkeeper, as well as four other men. All of them crossed the land border of Russia and Finland between Lappeenranta and Parikkala from 2019 to 2021.

Where did you pass the border?

According to его производительный паганиям, “постетитель магазина” in total, it took about half a week to get to Finland. His hometown is located approximately 2000 kilometers from the Finnish border. Before leaving, he sold all his property.

First he flew to Petersburg. From there he wanted to go to the West. Выбор пал на Финляндию.

The man said that he bought a 5-speed bicycle in Petersburg via the Internet and went on it to the side of Lakhdenpokhi.

По его воспоминаниям путь занял 5-6 дней. He slept in the woods and on the edges of the road, in a sleeping bag.

В Лахденпохье мучшина делать недвижимость для печать брасницы пупучи: перекусывать в дороге было блебо и меасными консервами; в инвермаги былы пастатижы для распечания пограничного бора.

Initially, he went on a bicycle from Lakhdenpokhi to the side of Finland, but then he returned for one night: he thought that he might appear suspicious to those around him.

Therefore, for the second time, he left his bicycle in Lakhdenpokhye and then walked on foot. At some point he noticed that he was walking around.

“Basically, I walked on roads and paths. Sometimes he turned to a cross-country road. Путь от Лахденпохьи до Финляндии занял одну ночь”, informed the illegal Finnish pogranichnikam.

“Я переночевал в спальном мешке в лесу, риадом с речкой. Нашёл вытопанное ровное место. I think that this stop was made by a bear, not a human.”

He orientated himself on screenshots from Google Maps, which he made in advance on his phone. Also, the compass helped him.

Not far from the state border, a man met a camp of hunters, several cars and one bicycle. Tot asked him – does he run away accidentally to Finland?

“He answered that I’m just an ordinary tourist traveling around these lands.”

During the interrogation, the man reported that he had crossed the border on foot. Примерно за пару часов до своего программы в сельском магазине. Pogranichny patrol with dogs subsequently established that the border was violated in the area of ​​Salokyl, 500 meters from pogranichnogo sign II/111.

The materials of the preliminary investigation show that other men who crossed the border acquired similar aids along the way: a compass, the Google Maps app, paper maps, a telescope, a knife, a camouflage form, and scissors for a border fence.

Один из перебежчиков на допросе described the process of crossing the border like this: Not very high. There was also a cleared land. Someone cut the wire. I cut it to, as far as I remember, get through the fence”.

Из тех Of the border breakers with whom HS was acquainted, only one person admitted that other people helped him to escape.

It’s not about the expensive contraband of people. Just in August 2021, he had to pay about 115 euros for a car trip from Moscow to the border with Finland. Together with him, there were even three people in the car who also planned to cross the border.

The man said that on the territory of Finland he continued to walk through the forest until the authorities caught him. He doesn’t know what happened to his three Moscow companions.

“When I was detained, I didn’t even know – whether I was already on the territory of Finland or the Russians caught me.”

Why did you pass the border?

У всех There is another common feature among the five border breakers: they claim to have set out because of the difficulties they had to face at home. Some of these complications are directly related to the Russian authorities.

For example, “мужчина из магазина” on interrogation called his existence in Russia unbearable.

According to his words, he wrote articles on the Internet about the country’s social and economic situation and proposed measures to improve it. С его слов, the authorities informed him that in connection with these publications, he would be presented with an announcement in public incitement to terrorism.

Другий перебежчик reported on interrogation that he is an opponent of the current Russian system and therefore he came to ask for refuge in Finland. In addition, he claims that the authorities accuse him of crimes under fabricated circumstances:

“The Russian authorities pursued and intended to kill me. I was subjected to torture and brutal treatment [данный пункт в материалах предварительного следствия был отредактирован – прим. ред.] in August 2019.”

“

“В России меня насильно привлекли к narcotorgovle.”

Третий the man told that he started planning to escape from Russia after the conditions became difficult during the coronavirus pandemic. Even earlier he came to Russia from the third country out of debt. He planned to get through Finland to Sweden, where an acquaintance promised to get him a job.

The fourth also said that he came to Russia from the third country, because there the police came to him several times a week. По его сорам, на родине его осудили за мульди лошади, что он проверала этого crime.

“I initially intended to stay in Russia, but then I heard about Finland and decided to come here in search of asylum,” he said.

The fifth reason for his escape to Finland was called problems with Russian authorities and Russian criminal structures:

“В России меня насильно привлекли к narcotorgovle. I had to sell drugs, but I didn’t want to do that. If I refused, they would kill me.”

Four из пати броустелей (включая “посетителя магазина”) официонали в Финляндии убежища. Therefore, their names and citizenship are not mentioned even in the materials of the preliminary investigation.

Based on these materials, as well as information obtained by HS from other sources, it can be assumed that some of these men were citizens of Russia. Others have citizenship of third countries.

“

The man appeared in his camouflage and asked to call the police.

Как ловили бросутелей грансие?

Out of five described here examples, three violators were caught by pogranichniki on their own.

At the same time, in one case, the Border Guard of South-Eastern Finland did not provide information to the preliminary investigation about how it became aware of the fact of crossing the border. It is known only that the patrol with dogs detained the man after the activation of the signal.

In another case, the offender was caught by a surveillance camera. Патруль поймал броусетеля четери часа бесплатно.

In the third case, it is reported that the man was spotted when crossing the border at 3:22 at night, but it is not clear from the materials of the preliminary investigation – how the surveillance was carried out. Патруль задержал перебежчика через два с хорошом часа.

Two of the five illegals independently reported to the authorities. Один из них – a man already well-known to us, whom we treated to tea in Parikkala. Another appeared in his camouflage in private ownership and asked to call the police.

Ни один Of these five men, they were not brought to criminal responsibility for illegally crossing the border, although they were suspected of committing this crime.

Charges were dropped from the four because they asked for asylum in Finland. According to the law, a foreigner who applies for asylum or a residence permit based on the status of a refugee cannot be convicted of an illegal border crossing.

Regarding the fifth, a criminal case was initiated, but subsequently the prosecutor’s office closed it, as the defector had already returned to Russia by this point.

Как война повлияла на систуют?

For now At the moment, it is impossible to talk about the fact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to a significant increase in the number of illegal crossings of the Finnish border. However, the Border Guard has increased its level of readiness due to the situation in the neighboring country.

According to information from border guards, a total of 26 people illegally entered Finland this year from the east. This is slightly higher than average, but not capital.

“The situation is still stable and calm. According to our estimates, in the short-term perspective it will be saved. However, in general, there have been very radical changes in the area of ​​safety, so there are no guarantees that the situation will remain the same for a longer period of time,” says the head of the center for risk assessment of the Finnish Border Guard Mikko Lehmus.

The overwhelming majority of those who illegally cross the eastern border are citizens of Russia.

“Letom и осенью мотивом решиших на побег россиян было оклонение от военной службы. However, this is not the only reason. Pomimo neё, it was called, for example, the general situation and the search for best conditions for life”, continues Lehmus.

А вот оценицать контактую броустелей грансия, он не готов, which have remained untouched. Lehmus is sure that there are very few such cases.

В next году Финляня начнёт на восточной границе the construction of fences with a total cost of 380 million euros. Their length is about 200 kilometers. Fences will be installed not far from the operating points of the border crossing.

According to the border guards, these structures will help both in identifying individual cases of illegal crossings and in preventing a possible increase in their number.

Article first published on 2 December 2022.

You can read the article in Finnish from here.