The government has proposed setting aside some six million euros for the funding of a pilot project to construct a partial fence on Finland's eastern border with Russia.
The sum, which was included in the supplementary budget proposal the government submitted to Parliament on Thursday, would finance the fencing of about three kilometres along the border.
Interior Minister Krista Mikkonen (Green) said that if the trial is a success, next year the Finnish Border Guard would be able to begin construction on a longer series of fences near border crossing zones.
A much more ambitious project, if it goes ahead, could eventually involve fencing around 15 percent of the border's total length, according to the minister.
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Despite widespread consensus among Finland's political parties, the plan to introduce a physical fence on the eastern border has also drawn some criticism.
For example, the Border Guard's risk analysis unit chief, Mikko Lehmus, hasdescribed the plan as unrealistic from a cost perspective while Karelian Insitute researcher Jussi Laine told a newspaper he worried that building barriers could endanger people's lives and fuel human trafficking.
Prime Minister Sanna Marin (SDP)has defended plans to build a partial barrier, saying that the fencing was necessary to improve safety across the border. She made the comments on Yle Radio 1's question hour on Sunday.
Finland has restricted entry to Russian citizens for tourism purposes, with some exceptions, since 30 September.
The Border Guard has said the fence trial effort would help authorities understand the situation regarding eventual tenders and contracts, as well as negotiations with landowners about land reclamation.
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