They travel in small clusters of about twenty-five, mostly young people, across the Middle East notes. They gather in a single location until mid-November, awaiting a border crossing. The gap between Finland and Russia, at Raja-Jooseppi, sits amid snowy peaks and the vastness of Lapland. Some push bicycles, while others use vehicles ill-suited to frozen roads and biting cold. These images feel surreal, yet they echo scenes from 2015 when civil war–driven displacement surged. In Syria, similar groups of refugees entered Norway from Russia by bike along the Arctic Circle. Russian authorities allowed crossing by wheeled transport rather thanfoot, and bicycles were abandoned once they reached Norwegian soil.
In Finland, a coalition government of conservatives led by Petteri Orpo and two minor parties faced what was described as hybrid warfare. Last summer brought a notable influx of refugees from Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Morocco. Between August and November, about 900 people arrived. In a country with roughly 5.5 million residents, that figure appeared manageable, though some alleged the moves aimed at destabilizing NATO and EU partners.
Within weeks Helsinki began shutting down seven of its eight entry routes. Only the most practical routes remained open, with Lapland and Vainikkala continuing to handle essential traffic and rail freight. These gradual closures swelled arrivals: 800 refugees crossed via Russia in November alone. When border restrictions paused for 15 days, the moment the deadline passed and Lapland reopened, 200 entries were logged in 48 hours.
Belarus
“Russia is intentionally guiding people toward our borders to destabilize the region,” said a Finnish official in remarks to a news agency. A new version of hybrid warfare drew criticism in 2022 from Baltic states and Poland. Thousands of refugees were later pushed toward European borders by Moscow’s ally Belarus, left stranded in no-man’s land while border guards on both sides pressed and shoved.
It seems that the unusual flow of refugees is not driven solely by Russian authorities; organized crime networks may also play a role. Some reports put the price at about $2,000 per person for the journey by bus or minibus from Moscow to the Finnish border, including the provision of bicycles for the final leg, according to a major Swiss newspaper.
Helsinki blames Moscow for this new hybrid threat. President Vladimir Putin recently cited the construction of a new militarized zone along the Finnish border and accused Helsinki of abandoning its bid to join NATO. Russia formalized its request in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Sweden has joined NATO; Finland has been a member since last year and awaits Turkish and Hungarian approvals.
From beneficial bilateral cooperation to rejection
Finland’s situation differs from that of other nations. The Baltic states and Poland faced their own pressures, yet Finland shares the longest border with Russia among EU partners and has maintained a historically nuanced relationship with Moscow. Unlike its neighbors, Finland did not sever ties outright after the invasion of Ukraine; instead, it pursued a measured path toward alliance alignment. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania moved quickly to deepen ties with NATO after their 1991 reorientation, while Finland balanced its neutrality with practical cooperation on shared security.
The 1,340-kilometer border with Russia represents a stark, vertical line on the map. The northern country was part of Russia from 1809 to 1917, occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939, and later leveraged its neutrality. A long-running commercial relationship persisted, and about 100,000 Russian-speaking residents live in Finland. As the Baltic states tightened entry rules for Russian citizens in 2022, Finland continued to accept visitors with Schengen-area visas.
Under Sanna Marin’s Social Democratic leadership, Finland formalized a NATO bid, while conservative Orpo led efforts to tighten border controls. The period also saw the rise of far-right populism inside Europe and a reevaluation of migration policies. Even so, border security and defense readiness intensified. The government began reinforcing border infrastructure, and a plan for a fence along a vulnerable stretch near Imatra was proposed to cover about 15% of the frontier amid forests and rugged terrain.
A deterrent fence and a strong Army
Once completed, the fence would stand as a strong deterrent to unauthorized crossings and asylum-seeker surges. Its purpose includes reinforcing national defense, reflecting years of investments in a capable military. Finland has a modern army and a large reserve component, with hundreds of thousands of personnel in the system. It has continuously upgraded defenses, including advanced aircraft and cyber protections, to deter potential incursions from Russia.
Allegations that refugee groups or Moscow might seek to destabilize Finland are just one facet of growing frictions between the two nations. In tandem with NATO integration, Helsinki has deepened military cooperation with the United States. In December, an agreement was signed granting Washington access to multiple Finnish bases. Sweden, still pursuing NATO accession, signed a similar pact, as did Denmark, reflecting broader regional defense alignment.