Finland announced on Tuesday that it will close its last remaining border crossing with Russia amid concerns that Moscow is using migrants as part of a "hybrid warfare" strategy to destabilize the country after its entry into NATO. This comes after Finland had already shut seven of its eight checkpoints on its border with Russia earlier this month due to a surge in arrivals of migrants from the Middle East and Africa. The Finnish government accused Russia of pushing migrants towards the border, through forests in the south to the rugged Arctic landscape in the north.

🔴 A national security threat or ' #hybrid_Attack'? What's going on at the #Finland_Russia border?#Finland will close seven of its eight borders with #Russia by the end of the week, with the #Kremlin denying it's using migrants as a geopolitical tactic.https://t.co/i4QzLvA0AM pic.twitter.com/Trfjt4dAQ5

— Schulla (@Schulla007) November 23, 2023

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that Finland has reason to suspect that the entry of migrants is organized by a foreign state, referring to Russia's influencing operations. The closure of the border is expected to last for at least two weeks, with the possibility of reopening one crossing point afterwards. The closure means that migrants arriving from Russia will only be able to seek asylum upon arrival at Finnish airports or harbors. However, there is currently no air or passenger boat traffic between Russia and Finland, making these options non-existent.

Finnish authorities claim that around 1,000 migrants without visas or valid documentation have arrived since August, with 900 of them arriving this month alone. Most of the migrants are young men in their 20s and 30s, but there are also families with children and women among them. The governor of Russia's northern Murmansk region stated that there were at least 400 people waiting to enter Finland on the Russian side of the border, anticipating an increase as Helsinki closes its crossing points gradually. Russian authorities deny encouraging migrants to enter Finland and express regret over the border closures.

Russia's alleged use of migrants as a tool of hybrid warfare is not a new strategy. Two years ago, the EU accused Russia's ally Belarus of using migrants to destabilize Western democracies. This move by Russia is seen as part of a larger approach to hybrid warfare, which also includes disinformation, election interference, and cyber attacks. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also stated that there is no doubt that Russia is instrumentalizing migrants as part of its hybrid warfare. Finnish officials had previously warned that Russia could seek ways to destabilize the country in retaliation for joining NATO this year, including cyber attacks and ushering migrants to its borders. The complete closure of the border between Finland and Russia is expected to last for two weeks, with future crossings to be determined.