INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Finland on Thursday said it would extend its border closure with Russia "until further notice," after it was shut in response to a surge in
migrant crossings.Finland, which joined the NATO military alliance following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, says the surge in asylum seekers
country closed the border in mid-December after nearly 1,000 migrants had arrived without a visa through its border crossings with Russia
since August.Finland has since extended the closure several times, with the last extension set to expire on April 14."The decision will
remain in force until further notice, but no longer than is necessary," the government said in a statement Thursday.In addition, "the border
crossing points for maritime traffic at Haapasaari, the port of Nuijamaa and Santio will be closed to leisure boating," starting April 15 to
prevent the "possibility that instrumentalized migration could expand to maritime traffic."As of April 15, it will only be possible to apply
for asylum at other maritime border crossing points or airports.Finland's relations with Russia soured after the 2022 invasion of
Ukraine.Moscow warned of "countermeasures" after Finland joined the Western defense alliance NATO in April 2023, reversing its decades-long
the end of the month.Although Helsinki then partially eased the closure, on Dec
14 it once again decided to close the entire border.According to Finnish authorities, reopening the border could pose a threat to national
security and public order."Finnish authorities see this as a long-term situation
We have not seen anything this spring that would lead us to conclude that the situation has changed meaningfully," Interior Minister Mari
Rantanen said in a statement.Rantanen added that hundreds and possibly thousands of people remain close to Finland's border on the Russian
side.The Finnish government is also preparing a bill which would enable it "to restrict the reception of applications for international
protection" in limited areas.
