On Friday, Finland passed a temporary bill that will allow border agents to turn away asylum seekers at its border with Russia.
According to several reports, this move occurred after Finland accused Russia of “weaponizing” migration by encouraging migrants from Syria, Somalia, and other countries to cross the border. The two countries share 832 miles of border.
Reportedly, officials in Finland believe that Russian leaders were pushing this type of migration in retaliation for Finland joining NATO. NATO supports Ukraine against Russia. In recent months, Finland made headlines around the world for closing all its land crossings with Russia.
The law passed this week reportedly stands at odds with Finland’s international human rights commitments (via The New York Times):
Parliament voted 167 to 31 to approve the bill, which would be in place for a year. Because it is an expedited constitutional amendment, it required more than the typical supermajority to pass.
The legislation gives the authorities the power to halt the acceptance of asylum applications at the border for up to a month at a time — and to remove migrants who had already made it into the country in hopes of seeking asylum. Forcing people back over a border, a practice known as “pushbacks,” is illegal under European and international law.
In a statement after the vote, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said: “I hope that this law will never have to be applied, but we are prepared.”
“This sends a strong message to Russia and to our allies. Finland looks after its national security and the security of the E.U. border,” Orpo added.
The text of the bill was reworked after the initial draft was at odds with the country’s constitution, the Times noted.
Reportedly, about 65 percent of Finns surveyed said that they supported the law. Only 19 percent said they were opposed.
More than 1,300 people crossed the Russia-Finland border last year to seek asylum, mostly coming from the Middle East and Aftrica. Since December, after border closures took place, only 35 illegal aliens have crossed into Finland from Russia.
In June, Amnesty International claimed that the proposal would “endanger the rights of people seeking safety and could lead to arbitrariness and violence at the border.”