Dozens of migrants wait at Finland-Russia border after Helsinki blocks crossings

Finish border guards wait at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Finland, November 17, 2023. REUTERS/Attila Cser

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Dozens of migrants stood behind barriers at two crossings on Finland's border with Russia on Saturday, the Finnish Border Guard said, after Helsinki erected barricades to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow.

The Finnish government has accused Russia of funnelling migrants to the crossings in retaliation for its decision to increase defence cooperation with the United States, an assertion dismissed by the Kremlin.