Finland prepares new deportation law amid Russian ‘threat’

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) – The Finnish government is preparing a deportation law that would prevent those attempting to cross the border from seeking asylum.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told Yle Radio 1 on Sunday that a new law is designed to prevent those attempting to cross the eastern border from seeking asylum.

Last week, Helsinki decided to extend the closure of its border with Russia until further notice.

Orpo pointed out that the situation at the eastern border had not changed, which is why Oslo chose to indefinitely extend the closure of all checkpoints.

In November, Finnish authorities closed border checkpoints with Russia after it accused Kremlin of carrying out a suspected "hybrid attack" and purposefully assisting undocumented migrants in crossing into the Nordic country, which Moscow denied.

According to the government, despite the closure, many asylum seekers still managed to find their way into the Nordic country with the numbers most likely to increase during warmer months.

In March, Helsinki proposed a temporary legislation that would enable border personnel to block those seeking to enter from Russia.

Between August and December last year, more than 1,300 asylum seekers crossed into Finland from Russia, while previously the numbers had averaged just one person a day, according to Finnish authorities.

Orpo confirmed that there are hundreds or even thousands of third-country nationals in Russia willing to come to Finland illegally.

Kremlin can multiply the number of arrivals, if it chooses to do so, the prime minister noted. "The threat is evident," he said.

This legislative proposal has drawn criticism from the opposition, whose support the government needs to pass the law, according to Yle.

Following the border closure, the Council of Europe published a letter in December expressing concerns "about the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants" and urging Finland to ensure that asylum seekers and migrants could continue to seek protection.

The UN and many other human rights organizations have accused the Nordic country of violating international law and preventing people from seeking asylum.

Since the closure, Amnesty Finland warned that the decision to close all border crossings with Russia "undermines the rights of asylum seekers and increases the risk of serious human rights violations at the border."

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia and has eight official border crossings. It became the 31st member of NATO last April, ending decades of military non-alignment as a result of Russia's war in Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.