Both Perussuomalaiset and Kokoomus hailed the result as a great victory, saying that they had succeeded in making amendments to the government’s proposal that would allow the border to be closed to asylum seekers if a hostile campaign against Finland is carried out.
Parliament is scheduled to vote on the proposal next week.
“This was a great victory for the security of our country” rejoiced Riikka Purra (PS), Chairman of the Parliamentary Administration Committee. “Since the original government bill would have been powerless to prevent hostile hybrid campaigns, we had to stay strong.”
Heikki Vestman (NCP) said the decision marks the finish line for the opposition party’s long-running push to include provisions in the law to counter hate campaigns by foreign countries.
The decision was also welcome Eveliina Heinäluoma (SDP).
– The most important thing is that the border can be closed if necessary and the reception of applications can be concentrated in a place that does not have to be located at the land border, he said and noted that under certain circumstances. Asylum applications could only be received at, for example, Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
The committee’s fundamental task was to find a balance between the right to seek asylum protected by international agreements and national capacities to react to hybrid campaigns in border areas.
The government stated in its original draft law that it should be possible to concentrate the reception of asylum applications in one place in exceptional circumstances. However, opposition parties were concerned about its actual ability to close the border, as the bill also stated that if a person expresses a desire to seek asylum despite physical barriers and orders from border authorities, their case should be processed.
The Administrative Commission considered that the bill should be supplemented by an article stating that asylum applications can only be lodged at an open border crossing point.
The opposition parties had also expressed their concern about whether the border authorities would be able to reject asylum seekers who want to cross the border outside an open border crossing, reports Helsingin Sanomat.
Vestman estimated that these concerns were also addressed.
“The report says border officials could prevent illegal land border crossings with physical force in a hybrid operation – even when border crossing attempts are peaceful,” he tweeted last night. “This means that the border may actually close as well.”
Aleksi Teivainen – HT