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Helsinki to again close all checkpoints on border with Russia — Iltalehti

According to the daily, on Thursday afternoon the ministers are convening an extra meeting to review the situation on the Russian border

STOCKHOLM, December 14. /TASS/. The Finnish government will again close all the checkpoints on the border with Russia, the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported citing sources.

According to the daily, on Thursday afternoon the ministers are convening an extra meeting to review the situation on the Russian border.

"The entire eastern border is highly likely to be closed," Iltalehti said.

Finnish Finance Minister Riikka Purra said that the government would adopt new decisions on Thursday regarding the situation on the border with Russia as refugees continue to arrive.

"It appears that exactly what we feared has occurred, as almost immediately the <…> entry into the country, people being pushed towards the border and asylum applications have begun," the minister said, as quoted by Yle, the Finnish broadcasting company.

In the early hours of Thursday, the Finnish government said that it had resumed the operation of the Vaalimaa and Niirala checkpoints on the border with Russia for the next month. On December 12, Mikko Lehmus, spokesman for Finland’s Border Guard Service, said at a press briefing that Helsinki opted for reopening those border crossings, as they are the most convenient for the people who live in border areas and regularly visit their relatives across it. In addition, they are more preferable for diplomatic and cargo transportation.

Out of the eight checkpoints on the Finnish-Russian border, six will be closed until February 14, 2024 due to the influx of refugees, which has alarmed the Finnish authorities. Border guards said that as of 12 p.m. local time (10 p.m. GMT) on Thursday, people seeking international protection continued to arrive. Two refugees reached the Vaalimaa checkpoint at noon (local time) and 33 more came to Niirala.

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