Finland-Russia border. File Photo Lehtikuva.
A few dozen refugees cross the border from Russia into Finland every week. The Lapland Border Guard received 33 refugees last week. The figures for previous weeks are similar, meaning that, on average, there are a few refugees every day.
For the entire year so far, the Lapland Border Guard has received 119 refugees, 11 at Salla and the rest at Inari’s Raja-Jooseppi.
The refugees include Iraqis, Afghans and Palestinians.
Since October, more refugees have come to the border in small groups and on bicycles, said Border Guard deputy commander Lieutenant Colonel Jussi Sainio.
There have been fewer applicants at the Finnish borders with Russia than the Norwegian borders with Russia.
“The fact that it’s a trickier route is one reason,” said Sainio.
Nearly 800 refugees crossed Norwegian borders last week from Russia, said the Norwegian News Agency.
