Finland – Eastern Border Remains Closed Until Further Notice

The Finnish government decided to keep the land crossing points closed on the eastern border between Finland and Russia until further notice.  In addition, closures extend to the Haapasaari crossing point for maritime traffic as well as the ports of Nuijamaa and Siuntio; all three have been closed to leisure boating since 15 April 2024 onwards.¹

The closure of the border-crossing points will continue to significantly impact the movement of employees and individuals reliant on these routes. Employees accustomed to using the now-closed border points will need to adapt to alternative ways of commuting between the countries.

The closure of the eastern border will continue to impact on all commercial traffic trying to cross from Finland to Russia as it will not be possible for the period of time that the decision is in place.   

As a response to so-called instrumentalised migration² between Russia and Finland, the Finnish government had previously decided to close Finland’s eastern border with Russia on an interim basis.  The government, on 4 April, decided to keep the border closed until further notice starting from 15 April 2024.³  

The situation continues to be closely followed, and a new act on border closings is currently being drafted in the Finnish parliament. 

The KPMG International member firm in Finland will monitor this matter and keep readers of GMS Flash Alert informed of any important developments.    

For additional information or specific inquiries related to these border-control measures, it is advisable to consult with qualified immigration counsel or a member of the immigration team with KPMG in Finland (see the Contacts section).  

1  (In English) Ministry of the Interior / Sisäministeriö, “Finland's eastern border to remain closed until further notice.”  (Also available in Swedish and Finnish at this link.)  Decision in Finnish: Valtioneuvoston päätös SM/2024/19.

2  “Instrumentalised migration” is using migration as a bargaining tool or a “wedge” to extract some kind of concession from the target country or worse yet, simply destabilise it.  An example of the latter would be for one country to act to channel migrants to cross the border into another country (the “target country”) that the first country may have a grievance with.  According to the government press release (see footnote 1), "Instrumentalised migration is one way that Russia can put pressure on and affect the security and social stability of Finland and the EU."

3  For prior coverage, see GMS Flash Alert 2024-039, 20 February 2024. 

Please note the KPMG International member firm in the United States does not provide immigration or labour law services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.

The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in Finland.