Arrr, mateys! The Finland border be in a pickle, as many a scallywag be crossin' afore it be closed again!
2023-12-15
Afore the shutting down o' two southern border crossin's with Russia, scores o' scurvy dogs sailed into Finland, addin' to the bloomin' wave o' asylum-seekers. Arrr, be they seekin' refuge or plunderin' treasures, only time can tell!
Dozens of migrants have crossed into Finland on Friday, just hours before the closure of two southern crossing points on the border with Russia. The Vaalimaa and Niirala crossings had briefly reopened on Thursday after being closed at the end of last month. Finland believes that Moscow is sending migrants to the border in an effort to destabilize the country, as it joined NATO in April, though Russia denies this accusation. The Finnish Border Guard has reported that dozens of migrants without proper documentation or visas have already arrived at the checkpoints. However, the Finnish government decided to close the crossings again, effective from Friday until January 14th. The reopening was intended to assess whether the migrant "phenomenon" still exists at the border. At the end of November, the Finnish government decided to close the entire 1,340-kilometer border with Russia for at least two weeks due to concerns of "hybrid warfare." Finland accuses Russia of deliberately ushering migrants, mainly seeking asylum in Finland, to the border area. The Kremlin denies this and regrets the border closures. Only the rail checkpoint will remain open between the two countries. Finnish authorities have stated that the majority of migrants who arrived in November were from Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. Finland is a significant part of NATO's northeast flank and acts as the EU's external border in the north.