The Finnish authorities had unsuccessfully tried to get the EU to agree to ban the granting of tourist visas to Russian citizens, but the lack of agreement ended up turning the Nordic country into the gateway for Russians to the European Community.
With air and rail connections severed by European sanctions against Moscow, thousands of Russians continue to arrive daily in Finland by road, most of them crossing the four border posts in southeastern Finland (Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala).
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that 300,000 reservists were to be mobilized to fight in Ukraine prompted an immediate increase in border traffic to Finland.
That same day, a total of 4,403 Russian citizens crossed the southeastern border, usually the busiest due to its proximity to Saint Petersburg, 57% more than the same day the previous week, and on Thursday 5,559 people did so, 107 % plus.
“This morning there are still a lot of people, … maybe it has increased a little compared to yesterday,” said a spokesman for the border guard.
Max, a 21-year-old Russian student who did not want to give his last name, said he was going to Finland to catch a flight to Germany to visit relatives.
Three people had applied for asylum on Thursday. None had done so the week before, she said.