00:00For much of Finland's eastern regions, life has been on hold after the country moved to shutter its border with
00:06Russia in December 2023.
00:09Helsinki accused Moscow of hybrid warfare in orchestrating a surge of 1,300 migrants across the border, an allegation the
00:16Kremlin denied.
00:18In several areas, business has ground to a halt after the decision.
00:22Many small cafes, restaurants and shops relied heavily on the daily border crossings as a core part of their revenues.
00:29At its peak, almost 2 million people crossed the border into Finland a year, but now there are none, suffocating
00:36local trade.
00:37Many have had to reduce operating hours, significantly cut back on costs, with employment being the main slash, or close
00:44entirely.
00:46Unemployment in Finland is already the highest in the EU, sitting at 10.2%, but in border areas like Tomajarvi,
00:53that figure sits at a dramatic 18.2%.
00:56Some local officials have complained that there hasn't been enough government support to ease the burden on their communities after
01:03the closure.
01:03But while many complained of the difficult economic conditions plaguing their areas,
01:08they believe the decision to close the 1,300-kilometer border was justified.
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