HELSINKI (AP) — Finland will close its last remaining road border with Russia due to concerns over migration, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said Tuesday, accusing Moscow of undermining Finland’s national security.

Finland already closed seven of its eight of the checkpoints along its long border Russia this month following a surge in arrivals of migrants from the Middle East and Africa. The government accuses Moscow of ushering the migrants toward the Finnish border.

“The government has decided to close the entire eastern border,” Orpo told reporters, saying the country faced an “exceptional” situation.

“We don’t accept any attempt to undermine our national security,” he said.

Other news Niger’s junta revokes a key law that had slowed migration for Africans desperate to reach Europe US closes border crossing to vehicles and limits traffic at another in response to illegal entries Central European interior ministers agree to step up fight against illegal migration at EU borders

Finnish authorities say about 900 migrants crossed the border from Russia this month, significantly more than normal. It has accused Russia of trying to create a migration crisis in Finland following the Nordic nation’s entry into NATO this year.

Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said the last border crossing for vehicle traffic that remains open, Raja-Jooseppi in Finland’s Arctic north, would close at midnight Wednesday.

A railway crossing between the two countries remains open but for cargo traffic only.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.