The European Union has mobilized its border protection agency, Frontex, to send 50 officers to Finland to deal with increased asylum seeker arrivals at its border with Russia.
This deployment, announced on Thursday, November 23rd, by Frontex, includes personnel and essential equipment like patrol cars, aimed at enhancing Finland’s border control capabilities.
The statement from Frontex indicated that the reinforcements are anticipated to arrive on-site as early as the following week.
Finland’s recent decision to close all but its northernmost border crossing with Russia followed a significant rise in the number of undocumented migrants entering the country.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo pointed fingers at Moscow, describing the situation as “a systematic and organized action” by Russian authorities to facilitate the migrants’ entry.
Orpo remarked, “We want to send a clear message to Russia: this must stop. It is not at this moment a question of asylum seekers, it is a question of hybrid attack and national security.”
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen echoed this sentiment, asserting, “Undoubtedly Russia is instrumentalizing migrants as part of its ‘hybrid warfare’ against Finland.”
The developments occur in the context of Finland’s recent NATO membership, a significant shift from its longstanding non-aligned status and traditionally cordial relations with Moscow.
The country’s 808-mile (1,300-kilometer) border with Russia is not only the EU’s external boundary but also constitutes NATO’s northeastern flank.
In contrast to these accusations, Moscow has categorically denied any role in channeling asylum seekers towards the Finnish border.
According to the Finnish Border Guard, the influx of asylum seekers, primarily from nations such as Yemen, Afghanistan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria, escalated to over 800 in November, a significant rise from the previously recorded rate of less than one per day.
Frontex head Hans Leijtens, while not directly naming Russia, referred to the situation as a challenge involving “hybrid threats.”
Leijtens emphasized European solidarity by saying, “This collaboration shows that when facing complex border issues, Europe stands united, offering support through tangible actions.”
Estonia and Latvia have also claimed that Moscow is sending migrants to their border areas with Russia.
The current situation in Finland mirrors past events on the EU’s borders. In 2021, thousands of asylum seekers found themselves trapped in a no-man’s land on the Poland-Belarus border.
The EU and Warsaw accused Minsk of intentionally luring migrants and refugees to Belarus, then encouraging them to head west with assurances of effortless access into the bloc, while also alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin was the orchestrator behind this crisis.
