Finland has completed the construction of a 200-kilometre fence along its border with Russia. The Finnish Border Guard regards the facility as a tool for countering organised migration, detecting suspicious activity and enabling patrols to respond more quickly. The project cost €356 million — €22 million less than the initial budget.
Briefly about the main points
- The completed project covered 200 kilometres of the eastern border.
- The fence does not form a continuous line along the entire border.
- The complex was supplemented with surveillance, patrol roads and a cleared strip.
- The longest sections have been built in the south-east of the country.
The sites were selected on the basis of a risk assessment
The fence was not erected along the entire border. It was erected in areas where Border Guard Service identified as priorities following an assessment of risks and feasibility.
Approximately 140 kilometres lie in the south-east of the country, around 35 kilometres in North Karelia, and a further 25 kilometres or so in Kyynuu and Lapland. The shared land border between Finland and Russia is approximately 1,340 kilometres long.
The barrier was supplemented with surveillance and patrol routes
The complex comprises a 4.5-metre-high fence, technical surveillance equipment, access roads for patrols and a 25-metre-wide cleared strip. According to the Border Guard Service, the equipment is designed to automatically detect suspicious activity, whilst the access roads are intended to reduce the time taken for patrols to arrive.
Minister for the Interior Mari Rantanen stated that the need for additional sections should be assessed in future.
