Russia denounces blame for migration crisis in Finland

Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday rejected the allegations about Russia being to blame for Finland's migrant crisis and termed the issue as a show of double standards from the West, reported Russian state-owned news agency TASS, quoting Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Zakharova at a press briefing said that there is "no uncontrolled flow" of migrants whatsoever.

According to Zakharova, claims that Russia plays a part in the migration crisis in the EU are based on numerous bogus reports, just like all the other anti-Russian propaganda.

She cited statistics from Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, saying that over 330,000 illegal migrants had crossed into the bloc between January and October 2023.

“According to data from the UNHCR and the Finnish Immigration Service, a little more than 800 people crossed from Russia in November," she said.

"Unless the West stops meddling with the internal affairs of the global majority of countries, migration crises will not end, and Russia does not have anything to do with that," Zakharova added.

Earlier, the Finnish government on January 11 decided that the border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia will remain closed until 11 February 2024.