Almost all of the asylum seekers that have come across Finland's eastern border in recent days have arrived at crossing points pushing bicycles, many of them children's bikes.
"The bicycles are like props that are abandoned either in a pile at the border or on the Finnish side," says Jouko Kinnunen, the commander of the border post at Vartius in Kuhmo.
Finland has banned crossing the border by bicycle. Signs were posted at the Vartius border point a week ago prohibiting crossing of the border both by bike and on foot. Even so, 20 people with bicycles arrived at the Vartius crossing on Tuesday.
According to Kinnunen, Russia is continuing to follow the terms of an old agreement that the border can only be crossed by vehicle, including bicycles.
Finnish border officials in the Kainuu region have been in contact with Russian counterparts to point out that entry into the country is now only intended for motor vehicle traffic and not bicycles. According to Kinnunen, negotiations on the matter are continuing.
Bicycles left behind by asylum seekers at the border will possibly be sold later at auction.
During the autumn and winter of 2015, hundreds of asylum seekers crossed Finland's eastern border on bicycles. Border crossings by bike were then prohibited, and asylum seekers switched to the use of dilapidated cars purchased in Russia and abandoned at the border.
Hypothermia tents
Two special heated tents on loan from Lapland's emergency services and intended to deal with cases of hypothermia have been set up at the Salla border crossing.
According to Hans-Michael Gros, the Border Guard post commander at Salla, arrivals have been lightly dressed, some wearing winter coats, but most wearing otherwise thin clothing and light footwear. He told Yle that they would be unlikely to survive outside long in current conditions.
Asylum seekers are now able to stave off hypothermia and wait in the heated tents to be invited by the border authorities to be interviewed, registered, and forwarded to reception centres.
No overnight arrivals
No new arrivals were reported overnight at either Vartius or Salla. Wednesday's first group of asylum seekers, 15 individuals, arrived at Salla late morning on foot and pushing bicycles.
At Vartius, the morning temperature was -15C and -20C at Salla. The Finnish Red Cross is on hand to distribute warm food and drink to asylum seekers arriving at the Salla border crossing point.
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