Reports indicate that Finland is constructing a fence on its border with Russia, with the first section already being built. The decision to build the fence was made last year as a precaution in case Russia attempted to flood the border with migrants, after Finland joined the NATO military alliance.
The Finnish government is hoping to prevent a similar situation to what happened in Poland in 2021 when Belarus, an ally of Russia, flew migrants from the Middle East and pushed them across the border. The Finnish barrier, which is made of steel mesh, should enclose around 200 kilometers (125 miles) of its most important border sections by the end of 2026.
Although the barrier is not meant to thwart any invasion attempts, it will feature monitoring technology. The border has had little human activity up to this point, with just 30 unlawful crossings discovered in Finland last year, while 800 attempts to enter Finland were blocked by Russian border guards. The move to build the fence was in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, according to Kai Sauer, Finland’s Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Security Policy. Sauer emphasized that NATO is a collective defense organization and is not an aggressor.
Both Finland and Sweden formally requested NATO membership after the Ukraine war started, with Sweden expected to become the next new member later this year.
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