Finnish chancellor of justice’s office rejects proposal to further tighten restrictions at Russian border

The Finnish chancellor of justice’s office has rejected a government proposal to further tighten restrictions at the Russian border, according to sources cited by Finnish news agency Yle.

It is unclear what exactly the government’s proposal entailed; however, the chancellor of justice’s office found that there were no formal grounds for introducing such restrictions. Additionally, the office said the new limitations would deprive migrants of the opportunity to seek asylum, a right that is enshrined in Finland’s constitution, E.U. legislation, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

In mid-November, Finland closed four of its nine border checkpoints with Russia against the backdrop of a sharp increase in the number of migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to enter the country through the Russian border. Estonia and Norway have also said they may restrict border checkpoints.

Some European politicians and officials suspect that Russia is artificially creating a migrant crisis at Schengen zone borders. The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry has called this view “very strange.”