Finland’s border fence almost ready in Lapland
Construction of fencing along Finland’s eastern border is nearly complete in Lapland, while sections of fence along other parts of the border will be finished by next summer.
The fence sits right at the edge of Finland’s border zone, just a single metre away from the Russian side.
It’s intended to curb Russia’s use of instrumentalised migration, or state-sponsored hybrid influencing efforts.
The entire eastern frontier will not, however, be fenced due to the high cost. Roughly 200 kilometres of fencing will cost around 362 million euros.
This means one kilometre of the barrier costs an average of about 1.8 million euros.
In Lapland, the fence runs along four sections: in Onkamo and Kelloselkä in Salla, and in Raja-Jooseppi and Virtaniemi in Inari. Kelloselkä and Raja-Jooseppi have served as border-crossing points, but they remain closed.
Finland began closing its crossing checkpoints along the eastern border in October 2023, after asylum seekers began arriving from Russia. The Finnish government viewed this as instrumentalised migration orchestrated by Moscow.
The eastern border fencing stands 4.5 metres high. It consists of a 3.5-metre wire fence topped with coils of razor wire. The fence also extends below ground.
Technical surveillance of the fenced areas will enable Border Guard units to patrol unfenced border locations.
The fence mesh has small openings, which were further reduced in size based on experiences from Poland, where people poked the fence through the gaps with sticks and knives.
Related stories from around the North:
Finland: Finland building shelter at Arctic national park along Russian border, Yle News
Norway: Suspected illegal Arctic border crossing from Russia to Norway, person detained, The Independent Barents Observer
