Finland’s parliament has recently approved a bill that would grant border guards the power to repel any illegal migrants attempting to enter from Russia without taking into account their pleas for asylum. This decision comes in response to Moscow’s use of “hybrid warfare,” which involves sending significant numbers of migrants to its border with Finland.
The Eduskunta parliament in Helsinki voted overwhelmingly, with 167 members voting in favour and only 31 opposing the emergency provisions — valid for a minimum of one year — that permit the expulsion of undocumented migrants. As a European Union member state and a recent addition to NATO, Finland maintains that rejecting an influx of unauthorized entrants at its 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) land border with Russia is crucial for national security. The country asserts that Moscow is exploiting migration as a means of destabilizing their nation in retaliation for their backing of Ukraine.
The legislation enables immigration officers to deny entry to migrants at the border without evaluating their claims for asylum, with exceptions made for children, disabled individuals, or those deemed particularly vulnerable. Although rejected by the European Union, other EU countries like Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have implemented similar measures to obstruct the entry of migrants from Belarus, an ally of Russia that has faced comparable accusations of employing migration in a “hybrid warfare” strategy.
Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra of the populist Finns Party argued for the necessity of the emergency law: “We cannot allow Russia to exploit weaknesses in our legislation and international agreements.” The majority of attempted unauthorized crossings along the Finland-Russia border were reportedly not Russian nationals, but rather originated from countries such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.
The legislation has garnered criticism from pro-mass migration organizations, including Amnesty International, which referred to it as a “green light for violence and pushbacks at the border.” The NGO contends that the law violates the recent European Union’s migrant pact and existing EU legislation. The head of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), Hans Leijtens, stated that migrant repulsions are “forbidden” under EU law. Additionally, he criticized the superficial focus on the issue of unauthorized migration and urged officials to refrain from alarmism over incoming migrants.
EU Illegal Immigration Hits Highest Level Since 2016 Migrant Crisis https://t.co/x7aRYbEtoP.
Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 19, 2024.