Finland's Border Guard has made a request for official assistance to the Defence Forces in the large-scale construction of razor wire barriers around border crossing points, according to the Lännen Media newspaper group.
As previously reported, the Defense Forces are already involved in building temporary barriers near northern border posts.
Border Guard Project Manager Ismo Kurki told Lännen Media that the agency's personnel have started constructing more barriers in areas adjacent to all crossing points on the eastern border.
"Not only at the northern border crossings, but everywhere," Kurki is quoted as saying.
The Border Guard's request for official assistance applies to conscripts and regular staff personnel from all army units.
Iltalehti quotes Elina Nurmi, the director of the reception unit of the Finnish Immigration Service Migri, as saying that the situation is well under control in terms of the reception system for asylum seekers crossing the border.
According to Nurmi, asylum seekers are being housed in different parts of Finland, not necessarily in the same regions where they enter the country.
Nurmi added that some asylum applications can be processed within a few weeks. However, the time it takes to make decisions on asylum applications varies.
Ilta-Sanomat reporters visited Imatra, the site of one of the four border crossing points in southeast Finland that were closed last weekend to prevent illegal entries.
"It seems really calm now," Jukka Lukkari, Deputy Commander of the Southeast Finland Border Guard told the paper.
"At the moment, the border situation in the southeast is stable and under the control of the authorities. We have brought this phenomenon to an end, at least for now. We are monitoring the situation and are ready to react if the border situation changes," he said.
However, Ilta-Sanomat also notes that the Border Guard has begun to receive a large number of reports from local citizens about suspicious movements, sounds and lights near the border.
Niinistö meeting party leaders
President Sauli Niinistö is to meet with the leaders of parliamentary parties on Wednesday to discuss foreign and security policy issues.
Several papers, including the Joensuu-based Karjalainen, point out that the gathering comes a day after a government plan to impose tighter restrictions on the eastern border experienced a setback when the Deputy Chancellor of Justice rejected a border shutdown proposal because it did not adequately protect asylum seekers' rights.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) said in parliament Tuesday that there are other models for restrictions that the government is examining. According to Interior Minister Mari Rantanen (Finns) preparations for tighter border control measures are continuing.
Stubb leads presidential poll
National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb is the favourite to become Finland's next president, according to the latest voter poll by Helsingin Sanomat.
The poll shows that Stubb would gain 24 percent in the first round of the presidential election if it were held right now. The second most popular candidate is Pekka Haavisto (Green), who was backed by 20 percent of those surveyed. Olli Rehn (Cen) and Jussi Halla-aho (Finns) follow the two leaders, each with 10 percent.
As recently as October, Haavisto held a clear lead in HS polls. Since then support for Haavisto has fallen by eight percentage points and Stubb's has increased by seven percentage points.
Based on the results, a second round seems all but certain. The poll found support for Stubb in a second round vote to be at 55 percent, and for Haavisto at 42 percent.
Among the other candidates, support for the Sdp's Jutta Urpilainen has clearly increased, now standing at seven percent in the Helsingin Sanomat poll.
Winds, snow, slippery roads
A snowstorm is expected to make landfall in western parts of the country on Wednesday bringing gale force winds and weather warnings, writes Iltalehti.
Accumulations of 5 to 20 centimetres of snow are likely to be seen the western half of the country, and during the evening and night, the storm will move across the country towards the east.
Snow and wind will make driving conditions hazardous, or very hazardous in some areas. Temperatures will be on the rise, but high winds will increase the chill factor.
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