Finland closes its doors to asylum seekers and puts up barriers claiming Putin is deliberately sending them across border with Russia because it has joined NATO – but Kremlin warns country has made 'big mistake'

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  • Barriers erected at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts 

Finland has closed its doors to asylum seekers at four crossings, arguing that Vladimir Putin is deliberatively sending them across the border with Russia because it had joined NATO. 

The Finnish Border Guard on Friday announced it would erect barriers from midnight local time at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts in southeast Finland. 

This would account for much of the travel between the two countries.

‘We have had bigger numbers like on Monday 39 and on Wednesday 75. Yesterday was quite peaceful, but today again over 100 irregular immigrants have come to the southeast district of Finland,’ said Captain Jussi Vainikka of the Finnish Border Guards.

The Finnish government has accused Russia of funnelling migrants to the crossings as payback for its decision to increase defence cooperation with NATO ally the United States, an assertion dismissed by Moscow. 

Asylum seekers coming from Russia are transported to Joutseno Reception Centre, at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

Asylum seekers coming from Russia are transported to Joutseno Reception Centre, at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

Border guards place asylum seekers that had crossed over from Russia into a van to be transported to a reception centre from the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, south eastern Finland, early morning on November 16, 2023

Border guards place asylum seekers that had crossed over from Russia into a van to be transported to a reception centre from the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, south eastern Finland, early morning on November 16, 2023

Asylum seekers coming from Russia been transported to Joutseno Reception Centre at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, early morning on November 16, 2023

Asylum seekers coming from Russia been transported to Joutseno Reception Centre at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, early morning on November 16, 2023

The Finnish Border Guard on Friday announced it would erect barriers from midnight local time at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts in southeast Finland

The Finnish Border Guard on Friday announced it would erect barriers from midnight local time at the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border posts in southeast Finland

‘It is clear that these people are helped and they are also being escorted or transported to the border by border guards,’ Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Finland was making a ‘big mistake’ by closing down border crossings and that Helsinki’s move was destroying bilateral relations. 

Finland’s NATO accession, spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was met with threats of counter-measures by Moscow. 

Finland shares a 1,340-km (830-mile) border with Russia that also serves as the EU’s external border. 

Images released over the last couple of days show confiscated bicycles at the Nuijamaa border crossing. 

Police vehicles are seen at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border at midnight, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

Police vehicles are seen at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border at midnight, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

Sign boards indicate no access to Russia, at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

Sign boards indicate no access to Russia, at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

A border guard vehicle moves bicycles used by asylum seekers to cross the border to Finland to an impound warehouse, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border, at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

A border guard vehicle moves bicycles used by asylum seekers to cross the border to Finland to an impound warehouse, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border, at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

Additional barricades are installed across the lanes at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

Additional barricades are installed across the lanes at the Nuijamaa border crossing station, after Finland closed all four southeastern border crossing points on its eastern border, in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 18, 2023

People, most of them ethnic Russians, gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

People, most of them ethnic Russians, gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

People gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

People gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

A demonstrator holds a placard as other people gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

A demonstrator holds a placard as other people gather in front of the Finnish parliament building to protest against the closure of the border crossing points with Russia, in Helsinki, Finland, on November 18, 2023

A number of migrants have been entering the country on bikes due to an agreement permitting cycling across the border. A restriction was set in place last week to restrict crossings on bikes at the four border posts that have now been closed.

Dozens of demonstrators could also be seen standing outside the Finnish parliament building on Saturday protesting against the move to close four border posts. 

Some 300 asylum seekers – mostly from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Syria – have arrived in Finland this week, according to the Border Guard.

A fifth border post had already been shut for passengers when train services between the two countries were suspended last year, while four regular border crossings remain open for the time being. 

Finnish border guards wait at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Finland, on November 17, 2023

Finnish border guards wait at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Finland, on November 17, 2023

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

Border guards place asylum seekers that had crossed over from Russia into a van to be transported to a reception centre from the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, south eastern Finland early morning on November 16, 2023

Border guards place asylum seekers that had crossed over from Russia into a van to be transported to a reception centre from the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, south eastern Finland early morning on November 16, 2023

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

A car is seen at the border between Russia and Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

Asylum seekers coming from Russia are seen at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

Asylum seekers coming from Russia are seen at the Nuijamaa border station between Russia and Finland in Lappeenranta, Finland, on November 16, 2023

An asylum seeker sits in on the ground near the Nuijamaa border crossing between Finland and Russia, in Lappeenranta, southeastern Finland, on November 17, 2023

An asylum seeker sits in on the ground near the Nuijamaa border crossing between Finland and Russia, in Lappeenranta, southeastern Finland, on November 17, 2023

Asylum can now only be sought at two of those, in Salla and Vartius, the Border Guard said. 

On Friday, European Union border agency Frontex told Reuters that it would send officers to Finland to help safeguard the frontier.

Finland’s Finance Minister Riikka Purra of the anti-immigration Finns Party said in a television interview on Thursday that her country was ready to close all crossing points on the Russian border if necessary.

Finland’s ombudsman for non-discrimination said this week that Helsinki still had a duty under international treaties and EU law to allow asylum seekers to seek protection.