Stein Kristian Hansen is Cheif of Police at Storskog border checkpoint. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Storskog border traffic down 13 percent

Chief of Police at Norway's border checkpoint to Russia, Stein Kristian Hansen, counts less travellers than last year, but there are still many more than before visa-freedom was introduced in the Norwegian-Russian border area.
April 04, 2016

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The Norwegian police at Storskog counted 18,271 border crossings in March. That is down 12,8 percent year-on-year, says Stein Kristian Hansen in an e-mail to the Barents Observer. Hansen is Chief of Storskog border checkpoint.

Traffic over the Norwegian-Russian border has gradually declined since the ruble collapse in December 2014. Last year, traffic was down 23,5 percent compared with 2014 and so far this year 8,14 percent.

Border-crossings are still 5,000 higher for March compared with March 2011, the year before Norway and Russian introduced visa free travel for residents living within a distance of 30 kilometres from the border. That counts for the citizens in Kirkenes, Nikel and Zapolyarny.

In 2014, queues were long in peak hours. Photos: Thomas Nilsen

 

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