Borders
If the trend continues, about 40,000 visas will be issued in Petrozavodsk this year.
Crimean crisis involving «little green men» was a wake-up call for those guarding Finland’s frontiers.
Finnish Border Guard reports a 1% slip in traffic between Murmansk region and Lapland in second quarter.
Two individuals had made it through the Russian security fence when they were halted by border guards.
Russian border municipalities, like Pechenga on the Kola Peninsula, can now conclude agreements with Norway and Finland. If Moscow agrees.
FSB says the four are citizens of Morocco.
“Absolutely something to consider,” says Per-Willy Amundsen after visiting the undersized and cramped facilities at Storskog.
It is not unrealistic, nor naive, to imagine the introduction of visa-free travel between Norway and Russia, regional leaders in Finnmark, the northernmost Norwegian region, argue.
If cross-border traffic can indicate which way the wind is blowing for Norwegian-Russian relations this is good news.
Here comes the new bridge to cross the mouth of the Pasvik river on Europe’s northernmost cross-border highway to Russia.
Armed FSB Border Guards from Murmansk were exercising in extreme cold in four days on top of planet earth.
In 2013, Nordic consular stations issued more than 1,5 million visas to Russians. Three years later, the number had plummeted to less than 500 thousand. Now, the trend bounces back, new figures show.
Siste/ mest lest
Two groups of people aimed for Scandinavia, but were stopped by the FSB.
Interior Minister Paula Risikko says border guards should be given expanded powers to act if national security threatened.
"I don't think there are any cities we have more contact with than Murmansk," says Kirkenes Mayor Rune Rafaelsen.
Three Moroccan citizens made it to Alakurtti, but no longer.
Raja-Joosepi and Salla checkpoints saw a decline in border-crossings of 12% and 14% in 2016.
After two years of decline, traffic across the Norwegian-Russian border is again on the increase.
November traffic is up 7,2% and it is Norwegians that counts for the increase.
Villagers in Neiden, the Norwegian settlement located near the border to Russia, become part of a successful regime on facilitated cross-border traveling.
The security service detains and charges migrants as they attempt illegal border crossing to Norway and Finland.
In times of political tensions between Oslo and Moscow is normal citizens’ travel across the border in the high north sharply up.
10 percent increase at Storskog, while Raja-Joosepi and Salla still see a decline in cross-border traffic.
Already from next year, you might have to pay toll when you cross the border to Russia. The money is needed for upgrades of border infrastructure, Moscow says.
Two very different views on what happened at a joint Norwegian, Russian Border Guards meeting in Kirkenes.
Up to 50 meters of Norway’s new security fence could be teared down and rebuilt.
Migrant crisis
“We upgrade the security at Storskog checkpoint to be better prepared for controlling who enters the country,” says Minister of Justice and Public Security Anders Anundsen.
Finnish border guards have broken up a ring of international human traffickers who smuggled people into the country from Russia.
Finland’s Border Guard has to cut spending and considers limiting opening hours at Raja-Jooseppi and Salla.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ilya Subbotin visits Murmansk ahead of the new round of Kolarctic projects.
Barents Cooperation
Top politicians and officials from the Barents region agree that infrastructure and communications between Russia and the Nordic countries must be improved.
Ever wanted to have a black Volga? On Friday and Saturday Finland’s Customs auctions away 128 of the cars used by asylum seekers to enter Lapland from Russia’s Kola Peninsula.
This helps us bolster security along our Arctic frontiers, regional leaders of the FSB say as they open a new border guard office in Sabetta.
Don’t throw the first stone. Norwegian military border guards and police acted properly.