Finland’s border with Russia was closed to Russians on tourist visas on Friday, reducing one of the last easily accessible routes to Europe for Russians seeking to flee a military mobilization aimed at strengthening the Kremlin war in Ukraine.
Long queues until midnight have been reported at border crossings. Among the last to enter Finland were two cyclists who arrived just before 11pm, Finnish broadcaster YLE from Vaalimaa, one of the main border crossings between the Nordic country and Russia, reported. Finland has the longest border with Russia of any European Union member country.
With the exception of the only border crossing point between Russia and Norway, Finland had provided the last easily accessible land route to Europe for Russian holders of visas for the European Schengen zone.
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The government justified its decision by stating that the continuous arrivals of Russian tourists to Finland are endangering the country’s international relations and cited security problems related to the Russian war in Ukraine, to the “illegal” referendums organized by Russia in some parts. Ukraine and the recent sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipeline from Russia under the Baltic Sea.
Russian citizens can still enter Finland for family, study or work reasons. Furthermore, Russian political dissidents can try to enter for humanitarian purposes.
Finnish border agents speak to Russians at a checkpoint on the Finnish-Russian border in Virolahti, Finland on September 30, 2022.
(Sasu Makinen./Lehtikuva via AP)
As of September 1, Finland has reduced the number of visas, including for tourism purposes, issued to Russian citizens to a tenth of the typical number, as a sign of solidarity with Ukraine.
Earlier this week, Finnish border guards said they wanted a fence along the Russian border, deeming it “necessary due to the changing security environment” in the Nordic country. Such a fence requires the approval of the Finnish parliament.
The fence would not cover the entire 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) length of the border, but would be located in “riskier areas, such as border crossings and neighboring areas,” border guards said.
Norway said Friday it was considering imposing an entry ban for Russians with Schengen visas. The Scandinavian country has an Arctic border with Russia that is 198 kilometers (123 miles) long. The only crossing point is Storskog.
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“We will close the border quickly if necessary, and changes can come at short notice,” said Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl.
