Governor of Russian border region declares state of emergency in anticipation of migrant crisis as Finland announces closure of all but one crossing

Murmansk Region Governor Andrey Chibis declared a state of emergency in the area “to ensure residents’ safety” after Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Finland would close all but one border crossing with Russia. The Raja-Jooseppi crossing in the Murmansk region is to remain open.

Chibis said the decision would likely lead to “a significant increase in the number of foreign nationals wishing to enter a NATO country through [the Murmansk region].” He noted that there are currently around 400 foreigners at another checkpoint in the area, only 50 of whom Finland was allowing in daily.

In mid-November, Finland closed four of its nine border crossings 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.

Some European politicians and officials suspect that Russia is artificially creating a migrant crisis at Schengen zone borders, saying those traveling to the E.U. through Russian territory “hardly came up with the idea themselves.” Moscow denies this, with the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry calling this view “very strange.”