Finland approves bill aimed at stopping asylum seekers from Russia

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) – Finland’s parliament approved the controversial law on Friday granting border guards the power to turn back asylum seekers crossing from Russia.

In the decisive vote, 167 representatives voted for the urgent adoption of the legislation, which Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called a "super majority" at a Helsinki press conference. According to national broadcaster Yle, 31 members voted against the bill.

The legislation allows Nordic country’s border authorities to refuse to accept asylum applications in certain circumstances in hope to prevent the alleged deliberate funneling of asylum seekers to Finland's border checkpoints from Russia.

Now by law, immigrants can be turned away without the right to appeal.

Orpo emphasized that the approved law sends a “strong message to Russia” and that the decision speaks of Finland taking care of its borders and security.

Earlier this month, more than 200 researchers from different universities in Finland and abroad signed a petition calling on parliament's administration committee to reject a controversial deportation bill.

Researchers argue the Finnish government has failed to prove that an increase in the number of asylum seekers would represent a security threat to Finland, according to Yle.

The petition argued that the number of people seeking asylum in Finland last year was within normal levels, said Yle.

Critics say that bringing the deportation law into force contravenes the Finnish constitution as well as several international treaties Finland has signed up to, the broadcaster added.

But according to Orpo, the government “made sure that Finland is still a rule of law.”

He stressed the importance of finding a "European solution" to the situation.