Finland will reopen two border posts with Russia this week. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said this on Tuesday during a press conference broadcast by Finnish media. Finland closed all eight border posts with Russia last November – the last on November 28 – making it impossible for individuals to cross into Finland from Russia, and vice versa. Goods transport over land remained possible.
Finland accused Moscow of deliberately sending undocumented asylum seekers to the Finnish border in revenge for Finland's NATO accession and a defense deal the country signed with the United States. Russian border guards would no longer stop asylum seekers without a valid EU visa.
Nine hundred asylum seekers, including from Morocco, Yemen and Kenya, are said to have crossed to Finland in November, while previously this only happened sporadically. The Kremlin has consistently denied accusations of “hybrid warfare.”
Prime Minister Orpo announced at the end of November that the measure would apply for at least two weeks. On Tuesday he said that by reopening the two border posts, both in southern Finland, he wants to see whether Russia will not again be guilty of sending asylum seekers to the border. He added that Finland will close the border posts again “when necessary”.
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