Finland shut its borders with Russia in December after months of new migrant arrivalsImage: Heikki Saukkomaa/picture alliance/dpa/Lehtikuva
Von der Leyen said the Commission is working closely with the migrants’ countries of origin to stop the flow of irregular arrivals.
But she said any measures must strike a balance between protecting the security of borders and international obligations.
The Finnish migration crisis comes almost three years after Belarus allowed migrants to fly in and then head to the border with neighboring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia to gain entry to the EU.
The stunt caused a serious deterioration in relations between the European Union and Minsk.
What is Finland doing to stop migrants entering from Russia?
Finland closed its eastern border with Russia in mid-December. The restriction has been extended several times.
Helsinki has closed eight of its nine checkpoints with Russia. The only one that remains open is dedicated to rail travel — mostly cargo trains.
Earlier this month, the Finnish government said the border crossing would remain closed “until further notice” since the situation remained unchanged.
Finland is drafting a new law that would allow border guards to block asylum seekers entering the country from Russia.
The proposed measures are similar to those introduced by EU neighbors when their land borders saw sudden large arrivals in migrant arrivals.
mm/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)
Source link : https://www.dw.com/en/finland-urges-eu-to-help-end-migrant-influx-from-russia/a-68868964
Author :
Publish date : 2024-04-19 07:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.