Contents tagged with Refugees

  • Estonian Politician: Russia uses the migration crisis as part of its hybrid war

    A member of the Estonian National Defense League, Ants Laaneots, speculates that Russia is using the migration crisis in the European Union as part of its hybrid war and has been trying to worsen it in line with the long-term strategy of the State.

    According to Laaneots, Russia is trying to strengthen its influence with the help of radical parties. “Putin’s aim is the disintegration of the European Union and NATO, if possible,” he stated, alleging that Russia is trying to develop “ …

  • Finnish authorities surprised by influx of refugees across border with Russia

    The Deputy Chief of the Finnish Border Guard, Ilkka Laitinen, is perplexed by the situation in which their border with Russia has quickly become one of the main crossing areas for refugees.  It is noted that more than 20 asylum-seekers crossed the border on Monday, February, 15th.

    "This phenomenon raises many questions, the answers to which we do not have.  One question is why people are crossing the northern border of Raja-Jooseppi and Salla, while the southern border crossings remain the …

  • Police chief in Norwegian province asks government for power to close border with Russia

    The Head of the Police of Finnmark, Norway,  Helen Catherine Haetta, appealed to the government p grant the police the right to close the border with Russia.  

    “Memories of the autumn events are still fresh.  Because of this, one should consider the physical non-permanent closure of the border for a number of security reasons.  The Head of the Police of that region should have the authority to do that,” Haetta wrote in a letter to the government.  

    She also mentioned that such measures can be …

  • Finland prepared to deploy troops along Russian border to control refugee crisis

    In reference to a Lännen Media publication, Kainuun Sanomat reported that Finnish authorities are prepared to deploy soldiers in joint force with the Russian Federation along the eastern border.  This is due to the current influx of refugees into Finland.  It was noted that as of right now there are officially 1500 guards protecting the border with Russia, which equates to approximately one border guard per kilometer.

    “However, in practice, only a part of personnel is on duty there,” the …

  • Norway Suspends Deportation of Refugees to Russia

    Norwegian authorities temporarily stopped the deportation of refugees that had come into the country from Russia, reported the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. According to ministry representatives, Russia expressed a wish to discuss the coordination of refugee return procedures at greater length, so their deportation is suspended until further notice.

    This week it became known that Norway began to send back to Russia those immigrants who crossed the Russian-Norwegian border and in recent months …

  • Timo Soini: Illegal Crossings of Russian-Finnish Border Must Be Stopped

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Timo Soini, stated that it is necessary to take tough steps in order to stop illegal migration across the Russian-Finnish border. “It seems that rough measures are even desperately required. We have to bring an end to illegal immigration and migration,” the Minister stated in an interview.

    The influx of refugees from the Middle East and Africa is rising south of the Murmansk region on the border with Finland. Refugees are no longer allowed to cross …

  • Finland Expects Thousands of Refugees to Enter Via Russia In 2016

    Finland’s national public-broadcasting company, Yle, cited the Lapland border service, who predicted that in the year 2016 about 7,500 refugees could enter Finland through the border with Russia. This forecast was made based on the current rate of arrival of asylum-seekers.

    Since the beginning of the year around 200 refugees crossed the Finnish-Russian border through the checkpoints Salla and Raja-Jooseppi. Most of the refugees were Iraqis, Afghans, Nepalese and Syrians. Last year 700 …

  • Russian airstrikes in Syria add to influx of refugees to Europe

    Human rights activists claim that civilian victims of the Russian bombing campaign in Syria number in the hundreds in densely populated areas. This Saturday, a senior U.S. official reported that only one-third of Russian aviation air strikes are being aimed at the positions of the so-called Islamic State. The indiscriminate bombing forces civilians to flee, further exacerbating the crisis in Europe caused by the massive influx of refugees.

    Among the 5,000 air strikes inflicted by the Russian …

  • Germany Warns of Possible Deportation for Cologne Assaulters

    The individuals responsible for committing sexual assaults and robberies in Cologne on New Year’s Eve may face deportation if they are not German citizens, warned the Federal Minister of Justice, Heiko Maas, during an interview with CNN.

    “The law allows for the deportation of a person, even during the asylum process, if he is sentenced to more than a one-year imprisonment. It is also possible when sexual offences are committed,” the Minister explained.

    The police received more than 120 …

  • Norway will not take refugees entering from Russia.

    Norway said it will send refugees entering from Russia back.

    Syrian refugees which arrive in Norway through Russian border will be sent back if they previously have stayed in Russia for a lengthy period of time.

    “Some persons who apply for a refugee status have lived in Russia for a long time. This would imply that they are not escaping war or poverty and do not require Norway to  provide their safety since Russia has already done so " said the justice and national safety minister of Norway …