Finnish Border Crisis Escalates as Refugees Vanish

Nearly 400 refugees who arrived in Finland via Russia have left the country, with the whereabouts of dozens remaining unknown, according to local media reports. These asylum seekers, hailing from Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and various other nations in Africa and the Middle East, have faced uncertain futures.

Finnish reception centers reported that since last fall, over 1,300 refugees crossed into Finland from the Russian border, with about 800 still awaiting asylum decisions. Media outlets noted that 260 of the 400 refugees who left Finland moved to other parts of the European Union, while information about 140 others is missing.

The media highlighted that out of the asylum applications processed, 50 resulted in positive outcomes, whereas more than 120 were rejected, with some applicants returning to their countries of origin.

The Finnish-Russian border has been closed by Finland until further notice amid an uncontrollable influx of third-country refugees starting from November 2023. Helsinki has repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately sending asylum seekers to the border, a charge that the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has denied, criticizing the West for its double standards.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the closure of Finnish checkpoints, describing the neighboring country's hostile stance as regrettable. Peskov affirmed that Russian border guards are following all instructions, allowing only those with legal rights to use the border crossing, and described the frivolous accusations as unacceptable to Moscow.