A demonstration in support of opening the border with Russia took place in Helsinki

Activists held a demonstration in Helsinki, calling on the government to open the border between Finland and Russia. This was reported on November 30 by the public TV channel Yle.

"The organizations "Free Movement", the association of support for asylum seekers, the Finnish branch of Amnesty International and We see you Finland held a demonstration with such a demand in the center of Helsinki", - stated in the material.

Representatives of the organizations believe that the closure of the border with the Russian Federation together with the previously adopted law on expulsion exposes people seeking asylum to danger. And the government's claims that there are security risks in opening the borders "criminalize" refugees and increase structural racism.

"We have a duty to respect human rights," said Sanna Valtonen, chair of the board of an organization dedicated to supporting asylum seekers.

Earlier, on November 29, the Russian-speaking "Alexander Society" reported that rallies would be held in Finland in favor of opening the border with Russia. Representatives of the society noted that the authorities of the republic are not trying to fix this "humanitarian disaster". On the same day it became known that the Chairman of the Commission on Foreign Affairs of the Parliament of Finland Kimmo Kiljunen decided to resign because of his words about the need to open the border with Russia. Kiljunen said that communication between the two countries should resume during a meeting with representatives of the Russian-speaking "Alexander Society" (Aleksanterinliitto). And promised to discuss the issue with his colleagues, but they harshly criticized him.

Before that, on November 13, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Finland Mari Rantanen recalled that the country closed checkpoints with the Russian Federation after the threat of a migration crisis. The authorities have not yet been able to solve the problem, so the issue of opening the borders is not relevant at the moment, said the Minister. At the same time on November 5, the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat wrote that the Finnish government may open one crossing point in the winter period as part of an experiment.

In November 2023, Finland closed all checkpoints on the border with Russia under the pretext of an influx of migrants from third countries. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at the time that Moscow was ready to work with Helsinki to resolve the situation.

On September 2, 2024, the authorities of the European state reported that they intend to make the barriers on the border with Russia higher and denser than planned. It is assumed that by the end of 2026, the agency will build about 200 kilometers of stationary fence. Its height will be 3.5 meters.