HELSINKI – Finland has urged the European Union to adopt common measures to prevent what it terms as instrumentalised migration, where migrants without valid travel documents arrive from Russia, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced on Tuesday.
Following the closure of its border with Russia last year due to a surge in arrivals from countries such as Syria and Somalia, Finland accused Moscow of using migration as a weapon against both Finland and the EU—a claim that the Kremlin denies.
Despite the border closure, some migrants have continued to arrive. In response, the Finnish government on Tuesday submitted a proposal to parliament that would permit border agents to turn away asylum seekers attempting to enter from Russia.
“We need to put our national security and the security of EU countries first. We are very aware of our responsibilities to control the European Union’s external border,” Orpo stated during a press conference.
The proposal highlights the necessity for EU-wide cooperation to address and manage the external borders effectively, ensuring that the security concerns of member states are prioritized.