MOSCOW, March 25 Residents of Finland are alarmed by the desertion of settlements near borders with Russia, reports Yle.
““If the village of Nuijamaa is empty, it will be a message abroad that it is quiet and easy to get here,” complained a local resident interviewed by journalists.
Observers say, that Finns living near the border helped border guards monitor illegal border crossings, but due to the outflow of people from these regions, the situation could worsen.
The Deputy Commander of the Eastern Finland Border Guard also noted that the border fence and surveillance systems are not will be able to completely replace the assistance of local residents.
The border between Finland and Russia is closed by decision of the Finnish authorities until April 14.
Finland began introducing restrictions on border crossings in November 2023 amid an uncontrolled flow of refugees from third countries. Finnish authorities have repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately sending asylum seekers to the border. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova rejected accusations against Russia of involvement in the migration crisis in the European Union, calling such accusations double standards of the West.
President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the closure of Finnish checkpoints on the border with Russia, noted that Russophobia The position now adopted by the leaders of this neighboring country is deeply regrettable. Peskov stressed that Russian border guards comply with all instructions, “the border crossing is used by those who have a legal right to do so,” and far-fetched accusations are unacceptable for Moscow.