Finnish President Says Impossible To Return Asylum Seekers To Russia

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on November 20 that it had become impossible to return asylum seekers who did not meet the criteria for protection, and that this had to be taken into account when policies are set. Over 500 asylum seekers, mostly from Yemen, Somalia, Syria, and Iraq, arrived in Finland via Russia during the past two weeks, leading Helsinki to shut half its border crossings and accuse Moscow of funneling migrants to its border. Niinisto called for a European Union-wide solution to stop uncontrollable entry to the passport-free area.