Finland to reject migrants at border with Russia on claims Kremlin is conducting 'hybrid warfare'

On Friday, Finnish lawmakers approved legislation that would allow the country to turn away migrants from neighboring Russia and reject their asylum requests, as reported by AP. This is in response to Helsinki's assertions that Russia has orchestrated a surge of migrants to the border in what the Finnish government called "hybrid warfare."

The government believes the Kremlin is funneling migrants to its border and hopes that the temporary measure curbs the influx of migrants.

The temporary law will be in effect for one year and was approved by 167 lawmakers, which is the minimal number required in the 200-seat Eduskunta, or Parliament. The measure was opposed by 31 lawmakers, including those from the Green League and the Left Alliance.

The law was deemed necessary by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's center-right government to address Russia's deliberate efforts to bring migrants to the heavily guarded Russia-Finland border zone, which is also the external border of the European Union to the north, on the grounds of national security.

Last year, Finald closed its 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) land border with Russia after an unusually high number of migrants, over 1,3000, entered the country in just three months without appropriate documentation or visas. This occurred just months after the nation became a member of NATO, per the AP.

The majority of the migrants who arrived in 2023 and early this year are from the Middle East and Africa, specifically Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Under the new law, Finnish border officers have the authority to reject migrant asylum applications at the crossing points in certain circumstances, pending approval from President Alexander Stubb. On the other hand, they will not deny entry to minors, disabled individuals, or migrants who are perceived by border guards to be in a particularly vulnerable situation.