Monday marked exactly one year since the closure of the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala border crossing points in eastern Finland.
The closures were prompted by a rapid increase in the number of asylum seekers arriving at these border points after Russia began allowing people without valid travel documents to cross.
Before the closure, the border crossing points at Vaalimaa and Nuijamaa were used in particular for people travelling by car from Finland to St Petersburg.
The Vaalimaa border crossing was reopened to traffic in December 2023, but quickly closed again.
According to the Finnish government, a spike in irregular entries posed a serious threat to national security and public order in Finland.
Yle spoke with Lieutenant Colonel Heikki Ahtiainen, Deputy Commander of the South-East Finland Border Guard, and asked him six questions:
1. What is the situation at the border stations in south-east Finland at the moment?
"The situation has been actually very similar throughout the autumn and summer, calm and stabilised at the border crossings. For example, there have been no unauthorised border crossings through the border points, so the situation is calm."
2. How has surveillance on the eastern border changed over the last year?
"We have stepped up surveillance."
Lt. Col. Ahtiainen added that in practice this means that border guards are carrying out more patrols in the border zone in vehicles and on foot with dogs.
Among the technical surveillance methods in use, he mentioned drones which allow border guards to verify the origin of sounds detected from across the border.
"It's easier when you can get above up higher and get your eyes there, than trying to guess from the ground. It's an excellent tool," he told Yle.
3. How is cooperation with the Russian border authorities going at the moment?
"It is taking place in the spirit of our border management agreement, [which is] a state treaty. Those things are dealt with that need to be dealt with in accordance with it. There is a weekly exchange of information.
4. Is there less information and fewer observations from citizens living and moving along the border now that there is no traffic at the border crossing points?
"I do not have accurate notes. I would say that the number of contacts from the public has even increased. If, for example, sounds are heard or people seen on the road, they are reported to us.
5. Are there any requests from members of the public to cross the eastern border?
"Of course, there are always requests for border crossing permits. There have been a few dozen, not hundreds."
Ahtiainen pointed out that requests for permits are not automatically rejected.
"All applications are processed. There must be exceptional reasons for opening a crossing point for an individual traveller," he pointed out.
He added, however, that the Border Guard of South-East Finland has not issued any permits to cross the border to ordinary citizens.
6. What changes have been made at border crossing points in the last year?
"The same buildings are there. Only minor improvements have been made."
According Lieutenant Colonel Ahtiainen, experience gained from last year's instrumentalised entries has been taken into account when making these improvements.
"Traffic management has been improved to make it safer for all those travelling though and for those employed there," he explained.
