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☆ Finland may shut entire Russian border, foreign minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, November 16, 2023. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Russia will "of course" respond if Finland closes the remaining border posts between the two countries. Valtonen confirmed observations by the Finnish border guards and said Finnish decision-makers had additional evidence that the Russian border service was transporting the migrants to the border but declined to reveal her sources. Valtonen said Finland had tried discussing the matter with Russia but Moscow had so far declined to engage in dialogue. On Wednesday, 51 migrants arrived from Russia to apply for asylum at the Salla border crossing and at least 11 at Vartius in Northern Finland, the Border Guard said.

Persons: Moilanen, Elina Valtonen, Valtonen, Maria Zakharova, Ylva Johansson, Essi, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, European Union, Kremlin, Foreign, Valtonen, NATO, Frontex, Border Guard, Thomson Locations: Russia, Finland, Lappeenranta, Helsinki, Moscow, Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Ukraine, Russian, EU's, Finnish, Vartius, Northern Finland

"It is very likely that the Russian authorities are heavily involved in the transport operation. Very probably the border guards are involved on their side," he told Reuters. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Finland's accusation that Russia was deliberately pushing illegal migrants towards the border and said Russian border guards were carrying out their duties in line with the rules. Kivenjuuri said access to the border zone on the Russian side was controlled by Russian authorities. "The border zone is wider on the Russian side and these people are not allowed freely into the border zone.

Persons: Tomi Kivenjuuri, Dmitry Peskov, Jouko Kinnunen, Kivenjuuri, Migri, Antti Lehtinen, Essi Lehto, Anne Kauranen Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, European, Helsinki, Reuters, Finland's Border Guard, Lapland Border Guards, Russian, Asylum Unit, Thomson Locations: Finland, HELSINKI, Russia, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Helsinki, Moscow, Finnish, Vartius, Russian, Afghanistan, Morocco

☆ Dozens of migrants wait at Finland-Russia border after Helsinki blocks crossings
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Dozens of migrants stood behind barriers at two crossings on Finland's border with Russia on Saturday, the Finnish Border Guard said, after Helsinki erected barricades to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow. Despite the closure, dozens of migrants arrived on Saturday afternoon at the Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa crossings, and lit a campfire in sub-zero temperatures behind razor-wire barriers mounted by border guards, Finnish Border Guard told reporters. Four regular border crossings remain open for the time being, but asylum can now only be sought at two of those, in Salla and Vartius, further north, the Border Guard said. On Saturday, 67 people arrived to seek asylum at the Vartius post, the local border guard unit said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Kremlin on Friday said Finland was making a "big mistake" by closing down border crossings and that Helsinki's move was destroying bilateral relations.

Persons: Mika Rytkonen, Jouko Kinnunen, Moscow's, Riikka Purra, Anne Kauranen, Attila Cser, Kevin Liffey, Terje Solsvik, Ros Russell Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, Kremlin, YLE, Finland, Border Guard, Twitter, MTV, Union, Frontex, Friday, Reuters, Finance, Finns Party, Thomson Locations: HELSINKI, Russia, Helsinki, Moscow, United States, Finland, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Salla, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, East, Africa, Nuijamaa, London

A view of the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland on November 15, 2023. The four border crossings - at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala in southeastern Finland - are normally the busiest points of travel between the two countries. Nearly 100 asylum seekers had entered Finland from Russia on Friday by midday, officials said. Finland shares a 1,340-km (833-mile) border with Russia that also serves as the EU's external border. Finland's ombudsman for non-discrimination said on Thursday Helsinki still had a duty under international treaties and EU law to allow asylum seekers to seek protection.

Persons: Helsinki, Matti Pitkaniitty, Pitkaniitty, Essi Lehto, Anne Kauranen, Terje Solsvik, Gareth Jones Organizations: Finnish Border Guard, European Union, NATO, Kremlin, Helsinki, Thomson Locations: Russia, Finland, Lappeenranta, Finnish, HELSINKI, Vaalimaa, Russia's, Salla, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Moscow, Ukraine, United States

☆ Finland closes four Russian border crossings to stop asylum seekers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, November 16, 2023. Lehtikuva/Vesa Moilanen via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsHELSINKI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Finland will close four of the nine crossing points on its border with Russia to stem a flow of asylum seekers to the Nordic nation, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Thursday. The Finnish president on Wednesday said a rise in the number of asylum applicants arriving on the country's eastern border appeared to be triggered by Russian revenge for Finland's defence cooperation with the United States. "The government has today decided that Finland will close some eastern border crossing points. The eastern border for that part will close on the night between Friday and Saturday," Orpo told a press conference.

Persons: Moilanen, Petteri Orpo, Orpo, Essi Lehto, Terje Solsvik Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Nordic, Thomson Locations: Russia, Finland, Lappeenranta, United States

☆ Facing asylum seeker surge from Russia, Finland mulls curbing access
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A view of the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland on November 15, 2023. An increasing number of citizens from third countries have arrived via Russia to Finnish border-crossing points without proper documentation this autumn. Finland has no... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreHELSINKI, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Further groups of asylum seekers arrived on Wednesday at Finland's southeastern border via Russia, officials said, adding to a sudden surge that might spur the Nordic country to restrict access. Finland's government on Tuesday accused Russia of funnelling asylum seekers to crossing points along the frontier and said it might limit access unless Russian authorities reverse course. On Tuesday, 55 asylum seekers were recorded by officials, while Wednesday afternoon's figure stood at 66 and rising, Finnish Border Guard Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Lukkari said.

Persons: Sauli Niinisto, Finland's, Dmitry Peskov, Jukka Lukkari, Jukka Laine, Laine, Essi Lehto, Anne Kauranen, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Union, NATO, EU, Finnish Border Guard, University of Eastern, Finnish Refugee Council, Thomson Locations: Russia, Finland, Lappeenranta, Finnish, HELSINKI, Finland's, Moscow, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, University of Eastern Finland

☆ Finland says traffic on border with Russia remains busy
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Cars queue to cross the border from Russia to Finland at the Nuijamaa border check point in Lappeenranta, Finland, September 22, 2022. Lauri Heino/Lehtikuva/via REUTERSRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterVAALIMAA, Finland, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Traffic into Finland across its southeastern border with Russia was busy on Friday, the border guard told Reuters, adding that the number of Russians who entered the previous day was more than double the number who arrived the week before. Finland is considering barring most Russians from entering as traffic arriving from its eastern neighbour "intensified" on Thursday following President Vladimir Putin's order for a partial military mobilisation. "This morning it remains busy ... maybe increasing a little bit from yesterday," a spokesperson for the border guard said early on Friday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Essi Lehto and Anna Ringstrom, writing by Stine Jacobsen, editing by Terje Solsvik, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 'I am leaving Russia': young men flee draft, Finland to restrict entry
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Essi Lehto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Cars queue to enter Finland from Russia at Finland's most southern crossing point Vaalimaa, around three hour drive from Saint Petersburg, in Vaalimaa, Finland September 23, 2022. Two days later, he was crossing the border into Finland. I am just for freedom, Russia (free) from Putin, democracy in Russia," he said, breaking into tears. Nikita was one of a dozen young men Reuters spoke to at the Vaalimaa border crossing in southeastern Finland, their number growing in the days since Putin announced the call-up of 300,000 military reservists. Traffic into Finland over its border with Russia was heavy on Friday.

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