Several dozen individuals potentially posing a threat to internal security have crossed into Finland via its border with Russia over the past few months, according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Ministry of the Interior and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) have both previously raised alarms on potential security threats related to asylum seekers crossing the eastern border.
Since the beginning of August last year, around 1,300 third-country nationals have entered Finland through Russia.
Many underlying risk factors
The NBI said that a person's risk to Finland's internal security can refer to multiple factors.
A potentially dangerous person may be a member of an extremist organisation, their activities may indicate membership of an armed group or involvement in hostile activities, there may be an all-points bulletin or international arrest warrant for the individual, the individual may have used a forged travel document or may have been involved in human trafficking.
Additionally, a person suspected or convicted of a criminal offence in the passport-free 26-nation Schengen Area, or who is banned from entering the Schengen Area, may also be considered potentially dangerous to Finland's security.
The NBI pointed out that a third-country national who meets this criteria does not necessarily pose a direct and immediate threat to Finland's internal security.
"This is a preliminary screening with the information available at the time, on the basis of which the person has been referred for further review," NBI's communications office told Yle.
Not all subject to threat assessment
When individuals seek asylum in Finland, the NBI says they must be registered as quickly as possible.
The high number of people arriving across the eastern border has made it difficult to process the arrivals and has delayed the identification of individuals considered to be security risks.
The NBI noted that during preliminary screenings, information is often limited.
"The assessment of asylum seekers in such cases is difficult and has to be made with insufficient and incomplete data," the NBI told Yle.
The NBI noted that due to the large number of people seeking asylum, it is not possible to carry out a threat assessment on all of them.
Due to concerns over instrumentalised migration orchestrated by Russia, Finland's eastern border is closed to passenger traffic until at least 14 April.
The Finnish Border Guard is also expecting an influx of migrants this spring when snow along the border melts, making the terrain easier to cross.
