Latest news with #SamuelSiljanen
Express Tribune
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Finland finishes 35 km of Russia border fence to curb migration
Listen to article Finland has completed the first 35 kilometres of a planned 200-kilometre high-security fence along its eastern border with Russia, the Finnish Border Guard said on Wednesday, as the country presses forward with efforts to curb irregular migration it believes has been deliberately channelled by Moscow. The barrier, which rises 4.5 metres high and is topped with a metre of barbed wire, is being constructed to enhance border control and deter mass crossings through remote wilderness routes. Finland shares a 1,344-kilometre border with Russia — the longest of any European Union country. 'The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland,' said Antti Virta, deputy commander of the Southeast Finland Border Guard District. Construction of the fence began last year after Finland experienced an unexpected surge of asylum seekers arriving via Russia in 2023, particularly from countries such as Syria and Somalia. Around 1,300 migrants entered through these routes before Helsinki shut all eight passenger border crossings indefinitely in November. Virtually no new arrivals have been reported since the closures, yet the Finnish authorities have stood firm in their decision to erect the fence. 'From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident,' said Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen. 'The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security.' Moscow has denied any involvement in encouraging the flow of migrants, but Helsinki has accused the Kremlin of using migration as a geopolitical tool – a charge Russia has dismissed as part of an 'anti-Russian stance.' The fence's construction also follows Finland's decision to join NATO in 2023, ending decades of military non-alignment in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That move drew strong condemnation from Moscow, which threatened Finland with unspecified 'retaliation'. In the border town of Nuijamaa, near one of the shuttered crossings, the new metal barrier stands silent amid tranquil woodland, equipped with cameras, sensors, lights, and loudspeakers. Still, the fence has faced criticism from human rights advocates. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify its indefinite border closure. Last year, the Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, warned that restrictions on asylum access could violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion. The Finnish Border Guard maintains that the project is compliant with international law and necessary to prevent future crises. The full 200-kilometre stretch is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Finnish 35km fence built on Russia border over migrants
Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said. Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said. Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said. Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said.
West Australian
21-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Finnish 35km fence built on Russia border over migrants
Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said.
Perth Now
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Finnish 35km fence built on Russia border over migrants
Finland has completed the first 35km of a 4.5-metre high fence it is building on its closed eastern border with Russia to stop migrants from crossing via the wilderness, the Finnish Border Guard says. Finland began constructing the fence, which will eventually cover 200km of the border's total 1344km length, last year in response to migration via Russia through the border in 2023, which it believes was deliberately orchestrated by the Kremlin. "The main purpose of the fence is to control a large mass of people if they are trying to enter from Russia to Finland," the deputy commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Antti Virta, told Reuters. In Nuijamaa, near one of the closed border crossing points, the scene is tranquil, with just the sound of birdsong to be heard on both sides of the new fence on Wednesday. But Finland has faced criticism, and not just from Russia, over the border closure and fence construction. After decades of peaceful relations with Russia, Finland joined the NATO military alliance two years ago in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting the Kremlin to threaten Finland with retaliation. The same year - in 2023 - about 1300 migrants from third countries such as Syria and Somalia arrived via Russia at the Finnish border to ask for asylum, until Finland closed all eight passenger crossing points to Russia indefinitely to put an end to the phenomenon. Russia has denied orchestrating the migrant flows. At the time, the Russian government said it deeply regretted Finland's decision to shut crossings on its border, saying it reflected Finland's adoption of an anti-Russian stance. Virtually no migrants arrived after Finland closed the border for passengers at the end of 2023 but the Border Guard defended the decision to build the fence. "The border barrier is absolutely necessary to maintain border security," Head of Operations Samuel Siljanen said. "From the Border Guard's perspective, it improves our ability to perform border surveillance, to act if there's some kind of disruption at the border or a border incident," he said, adding that the fence was needed to combat orchestrated migration. The European Court of Human Rights has asked Finland to justify the indefinite closure of the border. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, last year warned that Finland's temporary restrictions on asylum applications "would violate international obligations, including the prohibition of refoulement and collective expulsion". The fence consists of 3.5-metre high metal railings topped with a metre-high roll of barbed wire and it is equipped with cameras, sensors, loudspeakers and lights. It will be completed by the end of 2026, the Border Guard said.
