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22.11.2023 | The Government has decided to close the border crossing points of Kuusamo, Salla and Vartius at the eastern border as of Friday 24 November 2023 at 00.00. All border crossings at the eastern border will be centralised at the border crossing point of Raja-Jooseppi. The Government decided on these new restrictions at an extraordinary session on 22 November 2023. The decision will remain in force until 23 December 2023.

11.11.2025 | The Saimaa Canal delegates have decided that the sailing season in the canal will end on 14 November 2025. The season will end early, because there is no vessel traffic in the canal.

10.12.2025 | On 10 December, Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen represented Finland at the informal ministerial conference of the Council of Europe held in Strasbourg. The conference discussed topical migration issues and the role that the European Convention on Human Rights plays in addressing them responsibly.

27.10.2025 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen will meet Austria's Federal Minister for the Interior Gerhard Karner on 27 October. The ministers will travel together to Vaalimaa, Finland's eastern border, where they will receive a briefing on the situation at the eastern border, on the progress of the construction of the border fence, and on border arrangements.

9.1.2026 | Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen and General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO, met in Finland on Friday 9 January 2026. They also visited the Vaalimaa border crossing point at Finland’s eastern border.

8.2.2024 | The Government has decided that the border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia will remain closed until 14 April 2024. It will also not be possible to submit applications for international protection at any border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia. The Government decided on the matter in its session on 8 February 2024.

14.12.2023 | The Government has decided to close border crossing points at the land border between Finland and Russia up to 14th of January 2024. The decision will take effect on the 15th of December 2023 at 20.00. Applications for international protection will not be accepted at the crossing points on the Finnish-Russian border. A decision to this effect was made by the extraordinary session of the Government on the 14th of December.

28.11.2023 | The Government has decided to close the border crossing point of Raja-Jooseppi during the night between Wednesday and Thursday, that is, as of 30 November 2023. The decision means that all border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia will be closed until 13 December.  It will not be possible to submit applications for international protection at any border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia.

14.11.2023 | The Government parties agreed that the Ministry of the Interior will present a proposal to a government session on adopting restrictions in accordance with section 16 of the Border Guard Act.

27.6.2024 | In future, the Border Guard will be able to make better use of modern technology in its key statutory duties, such as border control and the maintenance of border security and order along the border. In its session on 27 June, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the amendments to the Border Guard Act and certain related acts. The President of the Republic is scheduled to approve the amendments on 28 June, and they will enter into force on 5 July 2024.

16.11.2023 | The Government has decided to close part of Finland's eastern border. The border crossing points of Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatra and Niirala will be closed starting on 18 November 2023. Submission of applications for international protection at the land border between Finland and Russia will be concentrated at the border crossing points of Vartius and Salla. The Government decided on the matter at an session on Thursday. The decision will remain in force until 18 February 2024.

24.11.2023 | “There has been a great deal of public debate and people have been asking about whether it is possible to close the entire eastern border. If needed, the entire eastern border can be closed,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

12.12.2023 | Finland will continue restrictions at the eastern border. The border crossing points will remain closed, with the exception of the border crossing points of Vaalimaa and Niirala, which will be opened for traffic on Thursday 14 December. The Government will close the entire eastern border again if instrumentalised migration at the eastern border continues.

24.11.2023 | Finland’s Ambassador to Moscow Antti Helanterä visited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation at his own request on 24 November to inform on the Finnish Government's decision of 22 November 2023 to temporarily close the border crossing points of Kuusamo, Salla and Vartius.

11.6.2025 | At the seminar held on 11 June 2025, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency presented the main results of a study on extending the standard track gauge commonly used in Europe to northern Finland. According to the study, extending the narrower track gauge to Finland will primarily benefit military mobility.

28.7.2023 | On 28 July, the Ministry of the Interior launched a new legislative project to introduce a border procedure in Finland. Due to time constraints, Parliament did not finish its consideration of the previous Government’s legislative proposal, which then lapsed. Now preparations are about to continue under the new Government Programme.

15.12.2023 | Respondents to the December Citizens' Pulse survey said the measures Finland has taken at the border with Russia have strengthened their sense of security and Finland's response to Russia's efforts to exert influence has been sufficient and timely.

20.2.2025 | The Czech Republic's Minister of the Interior Vít Rakušan will visit Finland between 19 and 21 February. Minister Rakušan will meet Finland's Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and travel with her to Vaalimaa border crossing point, where the ministers will be hosted by the Southeast Finland Border Guard District. The topics on their agenda will include discussions on Finland's action to combat the instrumentalisation of migrants. 

16.7.2024 | On 16 July, the President of the Republic approved the bill for the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration. The aim of the act is to improve border security and ensure that Finland has effective means at its disposal to combat instrumentalised migration, which is being used to put pressure on Finland. The aim is also to prepare for more serious instances of instrumentalised migration.

19.2.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior will set up a legislative project to combat instrumentalised migration and to bolster border security. The term of the project is from 19 February to 31 March 2024. The aim is for a government proposal to be submitted to Parliament in March 2024.