Finland extends indefinite closure of eastern border with Russia

Finland will keep its eastern border with Russia closed indefinitely, the government announced Thursday, extending a shutdown in place since December 2023.

The Council of State’s decision removes any fixed end date for the closure, which had previously been extended in April 2024 without a specified termination. The measure applies to all land border crossings, though freight rail traffic continues via the Vainikkala checkpoint, Yle reports.

Authorities stated the closure has achieved its goal of halting what they term “instrumentalized migration”—third-country nationals entering Finland without proper documentation, a phenomenon Finnish officials describe as a deliberate Russian tactic to destabilize Finnish and EU security.

The Ministry of the Interior warned the risk of renewed migration surges remains, posing a continued threat to national security and public order. Asylum applications are now limited to air and sea ports of entry.

Lappeenranta-based businessman Mohamad Darwich, whose company Atra Trade lost Russian customers due to the closure, called the decision disappointing. “We hope the war ends soon and the border reopens eventually,” he told Yle, noting his firm has partially offset losses by securing domestic wholesale contracts.

Finland first closed its eastern border in late 2023 after an influx of migrants, primarily from the Middle East and Africa, arrived via Russia without valid travel documents.