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USU: Finland's government parties want to keep eastern border closed

Finland's land border crossings with Russia have been closed for about a year.

A closed crossing at the eastern border at night in the fog, with bright lights and a closed gate.
Image: Jarmo Nuotio
  • Yle News

The four parties in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) coalition government want to keep Finland's border crossings with Russia closed, according to news group Uutissuomalainen (USU).

Finland's land border crossings with Russia have been closed for about a year, due to Russia funnelling asylum seekers from third countries to the border. The practice is called instrumentalised migration, a form of hybrid warfare.

A survey of party leaders found the Greens and Left Alliance had some interest in a partial opening of the crossings, USU reported on Friday.

However, the opposition SDP said it was important for the government to keep a close eye on the situation at the eastern border.

The eastern border's closure is based on current threat assessments by authorities, MP Matias Marttinen (NCP) told the news group.

"According to their assessments, there is still a high risk that instrumentalised migration would start again if the border is opened," he told USU, adding that the crossings should remain closed until the threat has ended.

The government parties are the National Coalition Party, Finns Party, Christian Democrats and the Swedish People's Party. Parliamentary parties in the opposition include the Social Democrats, Greens, Centre, Left Alliance and Movement Now.