Finland is closing all crossings on the Russian border after accusing Moscow of deliberately helping migrants into the country.
Finland is “determined to put an end to the crossings”, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in a statement.
The government says Russia is channelling asylum seekers towards Finland in what it calls an “influence operation” and “hybrid attack” - and has responded by progressively closing more and more border posts.
Only three migrants crossed into Finland through Raja-Jooseppi on Monday and zero on Tuesday, but the government said it was taking no chances with what it characterised as a threat to national security.
Finland’s non-discrimination ombudsman has raised concerns that Helsinki is jeopardising the right to seek asylum under international law - especially as the last remaining border crossing was around 900km (560 miles) north of the capital.
Pia Lindfors, executive director of the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre, told the BBC that she feared the decision would push asylum seekers to cross away from official crossing points, through the hundreds of kilometres of forests and rivers making up the long border.
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