Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) is meeting with EU leaders in Lapland this weekend.
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Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that EU leaders support the so-called deportation bill. Image: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has stated that leaders from the North-South EU summit currently meeting in Lapland and the European Commission have expressed strong support for the potential implementation of Finland’s so-called “deportation bill.”
Under the proposed legislation, Finland could turn back migrants crossing the Russian border without allowing them to apply for asylum.
The law remains under review by the European Commission. However, Orpo disclosed that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed her support in a letter sent shortly before the recent EU summit.
In the letter, von der Leyen emphasised that member states have the right to enact measures and legislation to ensure border and national security.
“We have strong support from both the leaders here, and the Commission’s leadership,” Orpo said.
The Finnish prime minister made his remarks on Saturday in Saariselkä, Inari, where he is hosting a meeting of EU leaders this weekend. Instrumentalised migration is one of the key topics on the agenda.
The gathering in Finnish Lapland, ahead of the Christmas season, includes EU foreign affairs and security representative Kaja Kallas, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Orpo seeks broad EU support
On Saturday, EU leaders in Saariselkä will receive a briefing from border experts on the phenomenon of instrumentalised migration.
“We are seeking continued strong support to address this issue. It is both a national and EU security matter,” Orpo stated.
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Santa Claus made an appearance at the Saariselkä meeting with EU leaders in Saariselkä. From left to right: EU foreign policy head Kaja Kallas, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Finnish PM Petteri Orpo, Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson and Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Image: Antti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
Finland’s eastern border has been closed to passenger traffic for over a year due to concerns over instrumentalised migration.
According to Orpo, reopening the border or individual crossing points would require mutual agreement with Russia, including assurances that migrants without proper travel documents would not be allowed to approach the border.
“At present, no such understanding exists,” Orpo added.
Kristersson comments on cable damage
In addition to migration and border issues, the meeting will address security, defence and preparedness, including Baltic Sea security.
On Thursday, authorities from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and China inspected the Chinese vesselYi Peng 3, which has been linked to damage to undersea communication cables in the Baltic Sea in November.
The vessel is suspected of dragging its anchor along the seabed, causing damage to cables between Finland and Germany, as well as Sweden and Lithuania. Investigations into potential sabotage continue, although no conclusive evidence has emerged regarding deliberate action.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson remained cautious, refraining from attributing the incidents to either an accident or sabotage.
“We do not yet have certainty. We have no accusations, but the government is deeply concerned. We do not believe things just happen. The Baltic Sea has proven vulnerable before and vessels have caused damage in the past,” Kristersson said.
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Publish date : 2024-12-21 05:44:00
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