Borders
Longread
Life of the Center for Neighbor Assistance on the border of Russia and Finland
While the Finnish Border Guard has launched serious investigation, other Finns make social media jokes suggesting unconditionally surrender to get access to Norway’s oil money and know-how on asthma medication.
Just a week after two Syrians were detained on the border to Norway, Russian border guards stopped two more.
Norway: Too early to say if this can be done at Storskog checkpoint to Russia.
Norway’s Consul in Murmansk, Jørgen Holten Jørgensen, and three others on a tourist voyage along the coast of the Kola Peninsula literally sailed into trouble.
Two Syrians got through the barbed wire fence on Friday, but where detained after 200 meters running in the snow.
For the seventh time in less than a year, migrants have illegally tried to make it to Norway from the Kola Peninsula.
21,880 crossings at the Russian-Norwegian border, up 6% compared with January last year.
The three Afghans who illegally tried to cross the Arctic border between Russia and Norway have been sentenced to six months behind bars.
Inspectors from the regional Prosecutor's Office conclude that local authorities in Pechenga must take tougher measures against extremism and terrorism.
Boost in traffic at Finland’s northernmost checkpoint to the Kola Peninsula.
Siste/ mest lest
But the number of border crossings is still 17% lower than the peak year of 2013.
Application processing time for foreigners entering Russia’s border zone will be reduced to «only» one month in advance.
Finnish Customs officials and border guards are investigating an unusual case in which a drone was found in a forested area of the eastern town of Lappeenranta with a cargo of 15 cartons of cigarettes. Two similar packages were found nearby, bringing the total to 45 cartons.
The blue-lighted tunnel and bridge opened a month ago should give a boost to easier traffic between Norway and Russia.
Fingerprint checks for visitors from outside Schengen will be obligatory, but Norway is still undecided about possible e-Gates at Storskog checkpoint to Russia.
Cross-border traffic between Norway and Russia increases, but the checkpoint will still remain a bottleneck.
Four citizens of Morocco were arrested behind Russia’s barbed wire fence on border to Norway.
Three young men and two women cut through Russia’s barbed wire fence, but were detained by FSB before reaching Norway.
Top Norwegian transport officials argue that the Storskog-Borisoglebsk border-crossing points should be open round-the-clock.
“This is a bridge for mutual benefit for businesses in both Norway and Russia,” says Minister of Transport and Communication Ketil Solvik-Olsen.
“The bridge sign should be bilingual in the great good spirit between our two countries,” says Jan-Henrik Fredriksen, representing Finnmark in the Norwegian Parliament over the last 12-years.
"We are very aware of the situation," says Norwegian Minister of Transport. "It is on our agenda," officials from Moscow underline.
FSB Border Guards caught the migrants in the terrain before they managed to cross the border.
FSB Border Guards detained the man after he climbed through the barbed wire fence.
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.