On Monday, Finland became subject to a peculiar law temporarily suspending the reception of asylum applications at the east border, as well as the deportations of those migrants who will be able to enter Finnish territory through Russia.
– It's a law aimed at opposing controlled migration. This is not a law on migration or asylum policy – convinced the head of the MMA Mari Rantanen, on the tv program Yle. The Minister represents the national-conservative organization “Finows” (PS), known for years from criticism of uncontrolled immigration.
– This is simply a improvement of border law, which we have been seeking for years. – the organization passed on to social media.
A peculiar 5/6 majority was needed to pass the bill in parliament, as ordered by the Constitutional Commission. – Pushing through this law means that we are pioneers in Europe erstwhile it comes to border security Minister Rantanen pointed out.
The Leader of the Left Alliance (VAS) Li Andersson, who will shortly sit in the Euro-Parliament, stated in turn that the passing of the bill was a "black day for the Finnish regulation of law and human rights".
Not only the leftist environments were opposed to the law, but besides many lawyers who argued that the law would not in practice be applied by border services due to a conflict with global agreements.
According to critics, the law besides does not solve the primary problem in the east, which is the closure (for more than half a year) of all crossings on the full 1,300 km Finnish-Russian border, which would violate freedom of movement. For double citizens, or people with relatives on both sides of the border, the shortest way to Russia now leads through Estonia.
– The border will be opened erstwhile border services consider this possible. There's no reason for that right now. said the minister. According to the Head of Intelligence of the Border Guard, Colonel Mikko Lehmus, “the threat of instrumentalised migration is inactive high, has not changed decently since November last year (when the government decided to close the transition)”. – It's impossible to open the full border – he added.
In mid-July, border guards reported that 1 individual had illegally crossed the border in the Kainuu region at the ft of Lapland. It's the first case this year.
Earlier in the autumn of 2023, erstwhile a massive influx of migrants began from outside the east border, and the crossings were open, over 1,300 people arrived in Finland for respective weeks. They were mostly young men aged 20-30, but besides women and children, mostly from mediate East and Africa. According to the estimates of the Finnish services, persons who present a threat to the safety of the country, including individuals associated with extremist groups, armed groups or who may participate in organised human trafficking, may be among the arrivals.
According to media reports, even 1 in 4 people who then arrived in Finland and went to migrant centres left them. any of them have reached another EU countries, mainly Germany.
The Act, which entered into force on Monday, does not give border guards fresh powers, e.g. the usage of force or means of coercion. Currently, as the defender Command informs, officers are trained to apply the exceptions provided for in the Act, i.e. to grant global protection to susceptible persons, including children. Nor does he talk straight about practice push-backThat's pushing migrants where they came from. It shall be valid for a period of 12 months.
Source: PAP
RoM
