For an indefinite period

Finland closes its border with Russia

Finland's border with Russia will remain closed indefinitely. The crossings are to remain closed beyond April 15, the Finnish government announced on Thursday.

In February, Helsinki had initially announced the closure until April 14. This means that migrants will still not be able to apply for asylum at the Russian-Finnish border crossings.

Prevention of targeted migration
In addition, the sea crossings on the island of Haapasaari, in the port of Nuijamaa and on the island of Santio will be closed to recreational shipping from April 15. With the closure to maritime traffic, Finland also wants to prevent the threat of targeted migration from Russia in the spring.

Finland, which borders Russia to the east over a distance of more than 1,300 kilometers, had already gradually closed the border in November. The Finnish authorities accuse Moscow of deliberately bringing undocumented asylum seekers to the crossings in order to cause problems for the EU and NATO country. The Kremlin denied this.