In response to the escalating migrant crisis along Finland’s border with Russia, officers from the Polish Border Guard are set to visit Finland on Monday for an advisory mission, according to the Border Guard’s statement to the Polish Press Agency.
With Finland having closed all its border crossings with Russia to curb a surge in asylum seekers, which Helsinki claims is coordinated by Moscow, the nation has witnessed nearly 1,000 illegal immigrants from third countries crossing its eastern frontier this autumn.
Jacek Siewiera, the head of the National Security Bureau, affirmed that the Polish Border Guard would dispatch officers to Finland to share insights gained from handling Belarus’ migration pressure on Poland in 2021.
Anna Michalska, the spokesperson for the Border Guard, outlined the objectives of the mission, stating, “Our experts will present how the barrier on the eastern border is constructed. They will also discuss legal solutions and cooperation with the military. Specialists from both the Border Guard and the military will be actively involved.”
Following a meeting in October between the Polish and Finnish border protection services, Finnish officers reportedly commended the quality of Poland’s work and its state-of-the-art security solutions.
The decision to send a Polish advisory mission to Finland materialized after a recent discussion between the presidents of Poland and Finland, during which they delved into topics such as security, migration pressures, and continued support for Ukraine, currently grappling with defense against Russia.
In 2021, the Polish government deployed hundreds of police officers and troops to the Belarusian border in response to repeated attempts by migrants to enter Poland and move westward. Poland maintains that Belarus and Russia orchestrated the crisis as part of an effort to destabilize the European Union.