On Friday, Finnish lawmakers approved a contentious bill that allows authorities to close down the border for asylum seekers. This decision follows accusations from Helsinki that Moscow is “weaponizing” migration. The so-called “deportation bill” would empower border officials to decline asylum applications under certain circumstances.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo expressed hope that the new law will never need to be implemented, stating, “We determinedly set out to find solutions and today parliament has approved the law with a clear majority.” However, the bill has faced significant opposition from human rights advocates and researchers alike.
EU Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O’Flaherty, sent a letter urging Finnish lawmakers not to pass the bill, as “the proposed law raises a number of significant human rights concerns.” He warned that if adopted, “it could set a destabilizing precedent” and “could be replicated by other states, including those with a less developed practice of upholding human rights.
More than 200 university researchers from Finland and abroad signed a petition calling for lawmakers to reject the bill. National broadcaster Yle reported on the opposition.
The Finnish government has maintained that the bill is necessary to combat what it refers to as Russian “hybrid influencing against our security.” Since 2022, Finland has experienced an increase in migrants attempting to enter the country through its land border with Russia, mainly from the Middle East. Helsinki accuses Moscow of directing these migrants towards the border crossings. Russia dismisses this claim as “unsubstantiated” and states that Finland has de facto suspended cooperation between the two countries’ border agencies.
During the Cold War, Russia and Finland maintained good working relations, which expanded further after the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, in 2022, relations deteriorated significantly when Finland supported Ukraine and began supplying weapons to Kiev. This marked a shift from Finland’s longstanding policy of non-alignment, as the Nordic state joined NATO last year. Russia warns that this move will only lead to further security deterioration in Europe.