Finland prepares layoffs as Russia border remains closed

Finnish customs authorities are preparing to lay off staff at the eastern border with Russia, as there appears to be no prospect of reopening the crossing points, the country’s main customs administration has confirmed.

“The border crossing points on the eastern border have been closed since December 2023. Due to the closure, customs could not operate at these points, except for the Vainikkala and Niirala railway crossings,” the agency said.

Until recently, customs personnel stationed at the eastern border were not laid off. Instead, employees were temporarily reassigned to partner organizations or to ports on Finland’s southern and western coasts, where workloads increased due to the border closures. These temporary assignments were designed to preserve staff qualifications. However, authorities now say that 140 enforcement personnel face layoffs.

“Now that the additional funding for employee placements has ended, the closure of crossing points has continued for the third year, and there are no prospects for reopening the crossings,” the border service noted.

The border between Finland and Russia remains closed by decision of Finnish authorities until further notice. Since November 2023, Finland has introduced restrictions on border crossings due to an uncontrolled flow of refugees from third countries, with Finnish officials accusing Russia of deliberately directing asylum seekers toward the border.

By Vafa Guliyeva