MOSCOW, March 26 UN organizations are concerned about the Finnish bill, limiting the reception of asylum seekers at the border with Russia, as reported in the comments to the bill, which are presented on the website of the Finnish government.
Earlier, the Finnish Ministry of Internal Affairs submitted for comment a bill that would limit the acceptance of applications for international protection for refugees arriving from the Russian border.
«The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is concerned that the 'turn back' procedure effectively removes asylum seekers from the territory of the country of asylum before filing or considering a claim for international protection. According to In UNHCR's experience, refoulement seen in other countries has resulted in injury, loss of limbs and death,” one paragraph of the commentary said.
UNHCR, in turn, proposes to refrain from introducing provisions prohibiting entry into Finland and the asylum procedure for persons who are seeking or may be in need of international protection. A similar position was taken by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Finland. According to UNICEF, such a law limits the rights of refugee children and complicates the asylum procedure for families.
Comments on the bill were accepted until March 25. A total of 59 comments were received from various organizations and departments, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.
The border between Russia and Finland is closed by decision of the Finnish authorities until April 14.
Finland began introducing restrictions on border crossings from November 2023 amid an uncontrolled flow of refugees from third countries. Finnish authorities have repeatedly accused Russia of deliberately sending asylum seekers to the border. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, rejected accusations against Russia of involvement in the migration crisis in the European Union, calling such accusations the double standards of the West.
Earlier, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the closure of Finnish checkpoints on the border with the Russian Federation, noted that the Russophobic position, which the leaders of this neighboring country have now begun to adhere to, 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.