Russia raises concerns about increased tension as Finland closes its final border crossing

Finland has closed its last crossing on the Russian border, causing the Kremlin to criticize the move as unnecessary. The Raja-Jooseppi crossing in the north was shut down for two weeks after Finland accused Russia of directing asylum seekers towards their country. Finland claims to be the target of a Russian "hybrid operation", as the number of asylum seekers crossing the border this month has reached 900, a significant increase compared to just one per day previously. As a response, Finland closed its seven southeastern border crossings last week and temporarily shut down its far-northern crossing as well. However, a rail-freight line will remain open and asylum seekers can still reach Helsinki by plane. Finland's Interior Minister describes this as a matter of national security. Poland has also announced that its military advisers will provide on-site knowledge of border security in Finland. The north crossing, known as Lotta on the Russian side, is extremely remote and lacking facilities. Russia had warned of counter-measures last April when Finland joined NATO. To cope with the influx of asylum seekers, Finland has coordinated with Norway and Estonia, and the EU border agency Frontex is sending additional officers to assist with surveillance. Although there is no permanent fencing, temporary structures are in place on the border. The Finnish Refugee Advice Centre is concerned that closing the borders will push asylum seekers into more dangerous environments along the border. Some migrants who were attempting to cross at the Salla border crossing have dispersed, with about 200 being taken to St. Petersburg. It remains unclear how coordinated the movement of migrants towards the Russian border has been or if there has been complicity from the Russian security service. The situation in Finland's border mirrors a similar situation in Belarus in 2021 when large numbers of asylum seekers were driven into Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. Poland, which reinforced its eastern border in response, is sending a team to Finland to provide assistance.