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Finland has expressed concern over “thousands” of migrants from third countries amassing at its border with Russia, aiming to enter Finnish territory.

The country had previously sealed all border crossings along its 830-mile border with Russia due to increased arrivals without proper documentation for entry into the European Union. Helsinki has accused Moscow of deliberately directing migrants to the border, an allegation that the Kremlin has refuted.

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Interior Minister Mari Rantanen highlighted the situation during a news conference, describing it as “a threat to society.” She noted the lack of details on how the Finnish authorities came to learn about the migrants waiting on the Russian side. With the onset of spring and rising temperatures, Rantanen anticipates a potential surge in attempts by migrants to cross the border illegally despite the harsh winter conditions that have impacted Finland’s forested border regions.

The Finnish border authority has reported that over 1,300 asylum seekers from countries such as Yemen, Somalia, and Syria arrived from Russia between August and December of the previous year, with a significant spike in November. This marked a drastic increase from the daily average of one person before last August. Additionally, Finland’s immigration authority has been unable to account for about 160 migrants, suggesting they may have moved on to other European countries.

The backdrop of these developments is the cooling of relations between Russia and Finland, particularly after Helsinki’s move to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In light of these events, the Finnish Interior Ministry announced plans to draft legislation quickly to bolster border security and address Moscow’s potential use of migration as a means to exert pressure on Finland.

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