Finland bans entry to people crossing border from Russia by bicycle

The Finnish border guard banned the entry of people crossing from Russia by bicycle, Lieutenant Colonel Jukka Lukkari, Deputy Commander of the South-Eastern Finland Border Guard, told Finnish news agency Yle. The ban came into force on November 9.

The St. Petersburg news outlet Fontanka reported on the ban on November 11, referencing eyewitnesses.

According to Lukkari, the number of people attempting to enter Finland through checkpoints on its southeastern border without entry documents has increased sharply since August. A total of 91 such cases have been registered. These were citizens of third countries transiting through Russia and seeking asylum in Finland.

Lukkari said that 30 migrants tried to illegally enter Finland on bicycle in just the last week, which prompted the ban. He added that about 3,000 people cross the eastern border in both directions every day through the Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa and Imatra border crossings in southeastern Finland.