Finland To Close Border For All Russian Tourists From Midnight

Finland said Thusday it will bar Russians with Schengen tourist visas from entering the country at midnight (2100 GMT) following a surge in arrivals after Moscow's mobilisation order.

"The decision aims to completely prevent the current situation of Russian tourism to Finland and the related transit through Finland," Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told a press conference.

Haavisto cited damage to "Finland's international relations" as a justification for the decision and said that Russia's mobilisation had a "significant impact" on their assessment.

The "illegal referendums in Ukraine" and the alleged sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea "have added to concerns", Mr Haavisto said.

Restrictions include exceptions on human rights grounds, and Russians can still enter Finland to meet family, work, or study.

"The decision must also not prevent travel for humanitarian reasons," Mr Haavisto added.

Interior Minister Krista Mikkonen said it is possible that the restrictions will result in increased numbers of asylum applications and illegal border crossings.

Mr Mikkonen said that someone being called up for mobilisation itself is not grounds for asylum -- unless it can be shown, for example, that the individual might be forced to commit war crimes or is subject to disproportionate punishment.

"But those decisions are always taken individually by the authorities," she said.

Even before Russia's mobilisation order Finland had restricted the number of visas issued to Russians, as tourism from its eastern neighbour had caused discontent due to the war in Ukraine.

But Mr Haavisto noted that the restrictions in place were not "sufficient" in the current situation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)