Demonstrators in Finland demand reopening of border

On November 30, a rally was held in Helsinki, Finland, in support of reopening the border with Russia.

Such organisations as "Free Movement", the Finnish Refugee Council, the Finnish branch of Amnesty International, and “We See You Finland” attended the rally, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

According to the protesters, the border closure puts asylum seekers in serious danger.

The government's claim of security threats posed by asylum seekers criminalises refugees and exacerbates structural racism. Since the end of 2023, all land border crossings between Russia and Finland have been closed indefinitely until further notice. 

The Finnish authorities cited instrumental migration as the reason for this decision, claiming that Russia is using migration as a tool against Finland. 

In summer, Finland passed a law on the deportation of illegal migrants, which allows the government to temporarily suspend asylum applications at the Finnish-Russian border if it deems that the country is subject to hybrid influence. In such cases, refugees who have already arrived in the country will be deported.

By Naila Huseynova