MOSCOW, July 9 The Finnish Parliament supported the bill in the first reading on the expulsion of refugees, on which the possible opening of the border with Russia may depend.
“Parliament approved the government’s proposal 53/24,” it was said at the conclusion of the plenary session. The broadcast was carried out on the parliament website.
The discussion of the bill in the first reading lasted seven hours. The second reading will take place on July 12. Finnish authorities have previously stated that the adoption of this law will make it possible to further consider the issue of opening a checkpoint on the border with Russia.
According to the bill «On temporary measures to combat instrumental migration», which implies the expulsion of refugees, the government will be able to limit the reception of asylum seekers on a certain part of the Finnish border. According to Finnish authorities, asylum seekers are used as an instrument of influence by other states. Accordingly, under this bill, refugees will not be able to enter the territory specified in Helsinki and will be expelled. The law does not apply to migrants in particularly vulnerable situations.
The 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 Moscow of involvement in the migration crisis in the European Union, calling them double standards of the West.
The border between Finland and Russia is closed by decision of Helsinki until further notice. Finland began introducing restrictions on border crossings from November 2023 amid an uncontrolled flow of refugees from third countries. 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 that Finnish leaders have now begun to adhere to is deeply regrettable. Peskov emphasized 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.