Students warned after crossing Finland-Russia border during school trip in Savonlinna

In September, a group of ninth graders from Savonlinna embarked on a school trip to the Rautjärvi Simpele area, where they inadvertently crossed the Finland-Russia border along the Hiitolanjoki River. The border guard suspected that five out of the ten children who separated from their classmates had crossed the border and returned. An investigation was initiated concerning the incident.

The students who crossed the border without permission received a warning for their actions. Violating the state border can lead to fines or, in severe cases, up to one year in prison. According to Lieutenant Matti Rantanen from the Southeastern Finland Border Guard, the decision to issue a warning was based on the belief that this was primarily a case of thoughtlessness rather than intent.

During the interrogations, the students were made aware that their border adventure could have had more serious consequences. Rantanen noted that it would have been detrimental had they been apprehended by Russian authorities first, potentially leading to a prolonged stay in Russia.

Rantanen expressed concern that retrieving the children from Russia could have taken weeks due to bureaucratic processes. He provided examples of situations where the return of adults to Finland has taken months, and sometimes the fate of border crossers remains unresolved.

The Southeastern Finland Border Guard reported the children’s crossing to the Vyborg Border Guard in accordance with protocol, but the Russian authorities showed no interest in engaging with the children. The principal of the Savonlinna school declined to comment further on the incident, although earlier in September, he indicated that the trip to Kangaskoski was related to biology education.

Uninvited guests frequently wander into the border area between Finland and Russia each year. Despite a recent spike in asylum seekers last winter, the year has otherwise proceeded normally. Rantanen noted that tourists occasionally find themselves on the wrong side of the border while taking photographs, which can result in on-the-spot fines. Incidents leading to imprisonment for border violations are exceedingly rare.