HELSINKI, November 18 Russian citizens living in Finland, they learned with bitterness and disappointment about the decision of the local government to close four checkpoints on the border with the Russian Federation due to the deterioration of the migration situation and the uncontrolled arrival of refugees, residents told a correspondent about this.
““Responsible politicians made the decision to close the border too hastily. I would like another solution to be found. I understand the need for Finland to stop illegal migration, but without restrictions for residents,” said Alexey Zelentsov, a resident of the city of Espoo.
Zelentsov lived in Finland since childhood, but he actively visits Russia, where he has relatives and friends.
«Now traveling will become much more difficult, since the four southernmost border crossing points between Finland and Russia will be closed to traffic. In the future, I plan to travel to Russia through Estonia,» he said.
In general, he characterizes the atmosphere prevailing among Finno-Russians as heavy.
«Due to border closures, many people no longer see their elderly parents and grandparents,» he said.
Another Russian from the Finnish city of Vantaa, Matvey Lehtinen, assessed the closure of the checkpoint in one word: “Terrible.”
He closely followed the government's decisions on the news on Thursday, when his mother came to him from St. Petersburg by bus.
«How she will leave is a question. My head is spinning, we haven't figured it out yet. Many people living in Finland have elderly parents living in Russia,» he said.
The Finnish Cabinet of Ministers, due to the worsening situation with migration on the border with Russia, decided to completely close the border checkpoints in the southeast of the country closest to St. Petersburg from November 18 to February 18, 2024. Four out of eight checkpoints will be closed; the remaining checkpoints are located in northern Finland.