Finland said Tuesday it was temporarily closing its only remaining open border crossing with Russia to stem an influx of asylum seekers that it accuses Moscow of orchestrating in retaliation for Finland’s decision to join NATO.
The Finnish authorities have been raising alarms for weeks over an increased number of migrants crossing into the country to seek asylum, describing it as a Kremlin bid to sow discord.
They had already closed seven of the eight crossings along Finland’s vast frontier with Russia, leaving just the Raja-Jooseppi checkpoint in hard-to-reach northern Lapland, above the Arctic Circle, open to travelers.
“The government’s goal is that the exceptional situation on Finland’s eastern border is normalized as soon as possible,” he said at a news conference.
“The activity witnessed on Finland’s border must end.”
Persons:
Petteri Orpo, Jooseppi, ”
Organizations:
NATO, Kremlin
Locations:
Finland, Russia, Moscow, Lapland