1,5 year behind bars for attempted illegal border crossing to Norway

In May 2024, the two individuals illegally entered the closed security zone along Russia's border to Norway. None of them had necessary travel documents and the Russian prosecutor's offices argues that they planned an illegal crossing. 

They were detained by Russian border guards. 

This week, the two men were sentenced under article 322 of the Russian Criminal Code: "Attempted illegal crossing of the State Border of the Russian Federation, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy." They face one and a half year behind bars in a Russian prison colony.

According to the prosecutor's office, both men are from a third country. Their citizenship is not specified.

It is almost impossible to cross the border between Russia and Norway without necessary travel documents and the approval of the FSB Border Guards. Before reaching the border itself, travellers must pass several checkpoints, and, as a rule, if the necessary documents are not available, they are stopped at the Titovka checkpoint 100 kilometers from Norway. 

Nevertheless, in late 2015 more than 5,000 migrants without valid travel documents managed to make it across the border. It is widely believed that the FSB was instrumental in creating the migrant crisis as part of a hybrid operation aimed at testing preparedness of the Norwegians.

Similarly, the FSB is believed to be behind the flows of migrants that in 2023 crossed the border from Russia to Finland. The situation led to a full closure of the border from the Finnish side.