Finland has arrested eleven Iranians who illegally crossed its border with Russia

Officers of Finland They condemned the move on Friday Eleven are Iranians to cross the border with RussiaThe same day Helsinki confirmed that all its border crossings would remain fully closed until at least next February 11.

Deputy Commander of the Finnish Border Guard Heikki Ahtianen said the eleven were transferred by an “unknown helper” to a checkpoint in the town of Lappinranda, from where they entered the Baltic state. were detained In a short time.

According to the border guard, eleven Iranians – all men – were traveling in a group and had sought asylum from Finnish authorities at the time of their arrest.

Ahtianen noted that many of those detained admitted to receiving help from Russia to cross the border. “We don't know who helped them. “What interests us in this investigation is to find out exactly who is organizing this kind of assistance in order to catch them,” Ahtianen said, according to Finnish state television. Yle.

He also said Russian border officials agreed to cooperate. “The border guards of Finland and Russia held a joint meeting in which they discussed the matter,” he revealed.

On Wednesday, another ten people were detained on Finnish territory, 1,300 kilometers away from Russia, after they were caught illegally crossing the border about 100 kilometers to the north through the Parikala checkpoint.

Finland announced Thursday Nine land border crossings with Russia will remain closed until at least February 11 This is due to an increase in attempts to cross into its territory, which Russia has been accused of promoting in retaliation for its entry into NATO and sanctions for its aggression against Ukraine. Many countries in the region have implemented similar measures.

On Thursday, the Finnish government reiterated that it was “clear that Russian authorities or other actors are instrumentally facilitating the migration”, calling it a “serious threat to national security and public order in Finland”.

“It is necessary to continue the border closure The threat of Russian hybrid influence persists. There are still migrants in areas close to the border waiting for it to open,” Finnish Interior Minister Mari Randanen told a press conference.

Randanen said that Finland's national security is an important issue and takes priority over any other issue. “We know the situation is difficult for Russians and dual citizens living in Finland, but Russia's approach leaves us with no other options,” he said.

(With information from EFE and EuropaPress)