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Finland proposes shutting down checkpoints on border with Russia 'until further notice'

The media reported earlier that the checkpoints on the border with Russia will be closed until Finland enacts a law instituting temporary measures for combatting so-called weaponized immigration

© AP Photo/Sergey Grits

HELSINKI, April 3. /TASS/. The Finnish Interior Ministry is proposing to close automobile checkpoints on Finland’s border with Russia "until further notice," according to the agenda of a government meeting scheduled for April 4.

The Finnish Interior Ministry submitted the following draft resolution for the government’s approval: "Decision of the government on the closure of border checkpoints until further notice and the centralization of the procedure for submission of applications for international protection."

Finnish media outlets reported earlier that the checkpoints on the border with Russia will be closed until Finland enacts a law instituting temporary measures for combatting so-called weaponized immigration (or situations where migrants are allegedly used as a tool to achieve certain goals), which would allow authorities to deny asylum requests directly at the border. The bill is expected to reach the Finnish parliament in April.

Previously, the Finnish government decided to shut down all automobile checkpoints at the Russian border from November 2023 to April 13, 2024, due to what the Finnish authorities termed a migrant influx.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Finland’s decision to shut down border crossing checkpoints will create new dividing lines in Europe, adding that Moscow will formulate its response to such actions within the interagency format.

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