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00:00 This checkpoint currently serves as the only way for people to enter Finland from Russia.
00:04 At midnight on Wednesday, it will close down - at least until mid-December.
00:09 The Finnish government made the announcement amid concerns that
00:13 Moscow is ushering migrants to the border in harsh winter conditions
00:16 and loosening its own border checks, claims Russia denies.
00:19 "Instrumentalised migration from Russia has continued. I would like to stress that it is
00:26 not just the number of arrivals that is an issue, but the phenomenon itself. In recent days,
00:32 there has been a growing understanding that this is an organised operation, not a genuine emergency."
00:38 Finland had already shut seven of the eight checkpoints this month following a sharp
00:44 increase in arrivals. The only crossing that will now remain open is for freight only.
00:49 Authorities say 1,000 people with no visas have arrived since August,
00:54 900 of those arriving just this month. Analysts say it's a strategy to create chaos on the EU's
01:00 external borders, particularly following Finland's accession to NATO, a sentiment
01:05 echoed by NATO's Secretary General. "Well, I think this is another example of how
01:09 Russia is using many different tools to put pressure on neighbours. We have seen them
01:15 using energy, we have seen them using cyber attacks. So the fact that Russia is now using
01:23 migration as a tool is yet another example." Two years ago, the EU accused Russia's ally Belarus
01:29 of using migrants seeking a better life in Europe as pawns to destabilise its democracies.
01:35 Finland is no longer taking any chances. Earlier this year, the Finnish border guard even began
01:40 the construction of a barrier fence along some key parts of the border.