Current:Home > MarketsFinland’s prime minister hints at further border action as Russia protests closings of crossings-InfoLens
Finland’s prime minister hints at further border action as Russia protests closings of crossings
View Date:2024-12-23 23:20:09
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Finland’s prime minister on Monday said the country may need to take further actions on its border with Russia after closing four border crossings in an attempt to stem a recent increase in asylum-seekers.
Finland, which joined NATO this year in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has accused Moscow of letting migrants from the Middle East and Africa without valid travel documents through to the Finnish border. The government closed the border crossings in southeastern Finland last week, but new migrant arrivals were reported at border checkpoints farther north.
“The situation has progressed in a bad direction,” Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was quoted as saying by Finnish public broadcaster YLE during a visit to the Vartius border crossing in east-central Finland. “If there is no change, we will take more measures, and if necessary, quickly. The message is clear that we do not accept this behavior.”
He did not rule out closing more border crossings along the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) Finnish-Russian border.
YLE said 500 asylum-seekers have arrived in Finland in November, significantly more than normal.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the decision to close border crossings would “aggravate” Russian-Finnish relations and criticized as a “pretext” Finland’s claim that Russia has been helping undocumented migrants to cross the border. A Foreign Ministry statement said the decision “violates the rights and interests of tens of thousands of citizens of our countries.”
European Union and NATO countries bordering Russia and Belarus have accused those countries of deliberately ushering migrants toward border zones as a type of “hybrid warfare.”
___
Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
veryGood! (227)
Related
- Knicks Player Ogugua Anunoby Nearly Crashes Into Anne Hathaway and Her Son During NBA Game
- 5th former Memphis officer pleads not guilty to federal civil rights charges in Tyre Nichols’ death
- 'A perfect match': Alabama University student buys $6,000 designer wedding dress for $25 at Goodwill
- The Fall movies, TV and music we can't wait for
- US Congress hopes to 'pull back the curtain' on UFOs in latest hearing: How to watch
- The Justice Department says there’s no valid basis for the judge to step aside from Trump’s DC case
- Delta to further limit access to its Sky Club airport lounges in effort to reduce crowds
- Donald Trump’s last-minute legal challenge could disrupt New York fraud trial
- DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
- Miami city commissioner charged with bribery and money laundering
Ranking
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- AP Week in Pictures: Global | Sept. 8-14, 2023
- Georgia jobless rate ticks up, but labor market keeps setting records for numbers of jobs
- Protecting Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffett, Bama and the Fight to Save the Manatee
- 'Full House' star Dave Coulier diagnosed with stage 3 cancer
- Delta to further limit access to its Sky Club airport lounges in effort to reduce crowds
- Enough to make your skin crawl: 20 rattlesnakes found inside a homeowner’s garage in Arizona
- Exxon minimized climate change internally after conceding that fossil fuels cause it
Recommendation
-
Keke Palmer Says Ryan Murphy “Ripped” Into Her Over Scream Queens Schedule
-
Finland joins Baltic neighbors in banning Russian-registered cars from entering their territory
-
College professor who questioned views toward adult-child sex wants back on campus
-
Casino giant Caesars Entertainment reports cyberattack; MGM Resorts says some systems still down
-
Certifying this year’s presidential results begins quietly, in contrast to the 2020 election
-
AP Week in Pictures: North America
-
Hunter Biden's indictment stopped at gun charges. But more may be coming
-
Selena Gomez Is Proudly Putting a Spotlight on Her Mexican Heritage—On and Off Screen