News Feed

Finland considering closing border with Russia

2 min read

Finland is reportedly considering closing its border with Russia completely, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated on Nov. 14.

Prime Minister Orpo told Finnish news outlet Yle that Russian border guards have changed tactics and are now allowing people across the border without the necessary documents and the number of migrants without appropriate paperwork is increasing.

"This should be taken seriously," Orpo said. "We are monitoring the situation."

The government is considering different options to address the situation, from closing one individual checkpoint to completely shutting down the entire border.

A similar situation took place back in 2015. "It was the same then, people without entry documents who came to ask for asylum in our country were allowed to the Finnish border. In this sense, it looks like a conscious decision."

Earlier this week, the Finnish Border Guard reported a spike in asylum seekers arriving without required travel documents to Finland's southeast border.

Ninety-one people have arrived at the border crossing points in Southeastern Finland without required travel documents since August 2023, according to the agency responsible for enforcing border security.

The agency said the asylum seekers are citizens of third countries who used Russia for transit. The spike marks a change in approach from the Russian authorities in the area who previously prevented people without the necessary travel documents from traveling to Finnish border crossings, according to the report.

Finland shut its border to Russian tourists in September 2022.

Ukraine war latest: Russia lost 4,000 soldiers on eastern front in 2 weeks, commander says
Key developments on Nov. 14: * Commander: Russia lost over 4,000 soldiers on eastern front over past 2 weeks * Prosecutor’s office identifies Russian soldiers who killed civilians, including well-known children’s writer * Germany’s Rheinmetall to provide Ukraine with 25 Leopard 1 tanks * EU pro…
Article image
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

Andrii Parubii, a Ukrainian politician who previously served as the parliament speaker and played a prominent role in the EuroMaidan Revolution, was shot dead in Lviv on Aug. 30.

Video

What’s it really like to live in a Ukrainian village during wartime? Masha Lavrova leaves the capital, Kyiv, and moves to a village to explore authentic Ukrainian rural life. She tries to survive for a month on a $500 budget — the average Ukrainian salary. Follow Masha’s bumpy journey to her new home in a village in Kyiv Oblast in the first episode.

Show More