Helsinki: Finland, upset by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, is rushing to strengthen the security of its border with Russia to protect itself from the threat of hybrids, the Interior Ministry said Friday.
Fearing that Moscow could use immigrants to put political pressure on Helsinki, Helsinki amends legislation to make it easier to build sturdy fences on the eastern border with Russia, 1,300 km (800 miles). I am planning.
“The purpose of the proposed law is to improve the operational capabilities of border guards in responding to hybrid threats,” Anne Ihanus, senior adviser to the Interior Ministry, told AFP.
“The war in Ukraine contributed to the urgency of the problem,” Ihanus said.
Currently, the Nordic country borders are protected primarily by light wooden fences used to prevent livestock from wandering to the wrong side.
Crossing the border from anywhere other than the official border crossing is already prohibited.
“What we are trying to build now is a sturdy fence with a true barrier effect,” said Sanna Paro, head of the legal department of the Finnish Border Guard.
“Probably the fence will not cover the entire eastern border, but it will target what is considered to be the most important,” Paro said.
In the event of a large migration, the government’s proposal also allows asylum seekers to be concentrated at specific border crossings.
The amendment will come into effect “as soon as possible”.
“The government will later make a decision on barriers to important areas of the eastern border,” Interior Minister Christa Mikonen said in a statement.
The government has not yet decided on a budget for the project.
Finland is currently applying for NATO membership, and Moscow has warned that the bid will be a “serious mistake with widespread consequences.”
