Frontex will send 50 workers to the Finnish-Russian border

The EU’s border control agency Frontex has announced plans to send 50 staff to Finland to strengthen border controls with Russia. This was stated in a message on the department’s website published on Thursday, November 23.

The first group of agency employees will arrive in the country on November 29. According to the agency, 10 Frontex employees are working at the Finnish borders.

Finnish Interior Minister Marie Rantanen said on November 20 that the country has sent a request to Frontex for more help to secure the eastern border.

Finland had previously closed four border points on its eastern border – Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Nierala. This decision is valid until February 18, 2024.

On November 22, the government of the republic decided to close the remaining three of the four checkpoints on the border with the Russian Federation, with the exception of the Raja-Jooseppi checkpoint.

In addition, the Syväoro checkpoint on the Russian side and Parikkala on the Finnish side will be closed indefinitely in April 2022.

As you know, on November 16, Finland decided to stop the work of four of the nine border checkpoints at Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Nirala, and from November 18 they are closed to traffic.

This is a response to a significant increase in refugees and asylum seekers arriving from the territory of the Russian Federation. Applications from migrants for asylum began to be accepted only at the borders of Vartius and Salla.

According to media reports, Finland on the evening of Wednesday, November 22, is ready to close the remaining checkpoints that still operate on the border of the Russian Federation.