Finland reopens 2 out of 8 border crossings with Russia

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Finland reopened two border crossings with Russia on Thursday, after closing all checkpoints in November.

The main Vaalimaa and Niirala crossings in the country's southeast have reopened to traffic, while the remaining six checkpoints and the Finnish-Russian border will remain closed.

The border crossings in question will remain open until Jan. 14, with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo warning that the entire eastern border could be closed again if Russia continues to put pressure on the Finnish government.

Orpo said the government made this decision to see if "there is change for the better."

Helsinki decided to close the entire border with Russia after many asylum seekers crossed into Finland with insufficient travel documents.

Last month, Finnish authorities accused Moscow of carrying out a suspected hybrid attack and purposefully assisting undocumented migrants in crossing into the Nordic country.

Orpo said at a press conference earlier this week that “the border is being opened gradually,” warning that the government would close the border crossings again if Russia used what it described as “hybrid influencing tactics.”

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."