Finnish lawmakers narrowly approved a controversial bill on Friday which allows border guards to turn away third-country migrants attempting to enter from Russia.
The aim of the bill is to introduce temporary measures which curb migrants from entering the Nordic nation, in response to what Helsinki sees as “hybrid warfare” from Russia.
Their government says Moscow is funneling undocumented migrants to the border between the two countries to orchestrate an influx of immigration.
The law would allow Finnish border guards to reject migrant asylum applications at crossing points under certain circumstances.
However, they will not allegedly refuse entry to children, disabled people and any migrants deemed by border guards to be in a particularly vulnerable position.
The law is valid for one year and was approved by 167 Finnish lawmakers – the minimum needed for it to pass in the 200-seat Finnish parliament.
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo cited national security to argue the law was needed to tackle Russian’s manoeuvres of deliberately ushering migrants to the heavily guarded border.
The law has been received with controversy – as opponents, including academics, legal experts and human rights groups, say it clashes with the Constitution of Finland, international rights commitments set out by the United Nations and pledges by the EU and signed by Finland.
Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, had earlier expressed concern about the draft law and urged against its adoption.
Finland closed the 1,340-kilometre land border with Russia last year after more than 1,300 migrants without proper documentation or visas entered the country in three months only months after the nation joined NATO.
Finland is the European Union’s external border to the north.
