Finland seeks EU support to stem migration amid Russian tensions

Finland believes the European Union should act to halt the influx of migrants from Russia. "We are preparing our own legislation but we also need EU-level measures," Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said, with Ursula von der Leyen assuring Finland of the EU's support.

Since last year, Finland has grappled with a surge of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, pointing fingers at Moscow for using migration as a weapon against Nordic countries and the EU—a charge the Kremlin denies.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the Finnish-Russian border on Friday, as reported by Reuters. "We are preparing our own legislation but we also need EU-level measures," Orpo emphasized post-visit.

At the press conference, Von der Leyen highlighted the European Commission's collaboration with migrants' countries of origin and concurred with Finland's stance. "We all know how Putin and his allies instrumentalize migrants to test our defenses and to try to destabilize us," von der Leyen stated, according to the Associated Press. "Now Putin is focusing on Finland, and this is no doubt in response to your firm support of Ukraine and your accession to NATO." she added.

Von der Leyen announced that Finland would receive over £52 million from EU funds for investments in the east, impacted economically by Russia's assault on Ukraine and the strategic use of migration, as per the Polish Press Agency.

In early April, the centre-right government led by Orpo approved an indefinite closure of the border with Russia. The closure encompasses several maritime paths for leisure boats in the Gulf of Finland's eastern area. With the arrival of spring, authorities fear migrants might use boats to enter Finland, attempting to bypass the traditional border crossings.