A Finnish government proposal to temporarily reject asylum seekers arriving at the country's border with Russia could be accepted by parliament if some amendments are made, an influential committee of legislators said on June 18. The announcement by the chair of the Finnish parliament's constitutional committee paves the way for the controversial proposal to be approved in a plenary vote at a later time. The government in May presented legislation allowing border guards to prevent migrants arriving across the long, forested border with Russia from seeking asylum, despite admitting the law would be in conflict with human rights commitments. Finland believes Moscow is promoting the crossings in retaliation for Helsinki joining NATO. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
Finnish Law To Halt Migrants At Russia Border Makes Progress In Parliament
Finnish hunter soldiers attend training with Swedish units as part of NATO's Nordic Response exercise in Hetta, Finland, in March.