Finland will close half of its border crossings with Russia on the night of Friday to Saturday, accusing Moscow of letting undocumented migrants cross the border, the Finnish government announced today.
"The government has decided to close the Valima, Nuijama, Imatra and Nirala crossings on the border between Finland and Russia," Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said at a press conference.
Finland's government warned on Tuesday that it plans to close its border with Russia on suspicion that Moscow is trying to destabilize the country, which joined NATO in April.
In recent weeks, Finland has seen an increase in the number of undocumented migrants arriving from the Middle East or Africa, especially from Iraq, Somalia and Yemen.
"We want this phenomenon to end, for border activity to return to normal," said the Finnish prime minister.
He said that he will take the necessary measures if the situation spreads to other crossings.
Finland shares a 1.340 kilometer border with Russia.
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The Kremlin vowed in April to take countermeasures after Finland's accession to NATO, calling the Western alliance's expansion an attack on Russia's security.
At the end of 2022, Finland revealed a plan to build a large fence on 200 kilometers of the border.
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