11 января 2024 — 14:00
The Finnish government has decided to extend the closure of checkpoints on the border with Russia for another month. This was stated on the air of the Yle TV channel by the Minister of Forestry and Agriculture Sari Essaya, writes TASS.
During the election debate, Essaya, who is a candidate for the presidency of Finland, confirmed the further closure of the checkpoint. Recall that rumors about this appeared on January 10 in the Finnish media.
"In this case, I can confirm the information that has become available to the public," the head of the department said.
On the morning of January 10, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper, citing sources in the Cabinet, wrote that Finland would not open the border with Russia after January 14. According to the interlocutors of the publication, "there are no political or legal obstacles to this."
The government will make a decision on extending the closure of the border on January 11. If this does not happen, the December restriction will expire at midnight on January 15th. The law in force in Finland allows the border to be closed indefinitely or for a limited period. The decision should be motivated by the need to "prevent a serious threat to public order, national security or public health."
Recall that on November 24, 2023, the Finnish authorities announced the temporary closure of all checkpoints on the border with Russia, with the exception of the point "Raya-Joosep" due to an increase in the influx of migrants. Since December 14, the border checkpoints "Vaalimaa" (from the Russian side – "Torfyanovka") and "Niirala" ("Vartsila") have resumed operation. But the very next day, Helsinki again decided to close them until January 14. The border guard service said that the overlap is due to illegal migration, which can provoke an increase in crime and poses a threat to the national security of Finland.