HELSINKI (AP) — Finnish lawmakers have narrowly approved a controversial bill that would give border guards the power to turn away migrants from third countries trying to enter the country from neighboring Russia and reject their asylum applications.
The government’s bill, aimed at introducing temporary measures to curb migrants entering the Scandinavian country, was a response to what Finland sees as “hybrid warfare” from Moscow, which Helsinki accuses of funneling undocumented migrants to the two countries’ borders.
The temporary law, valid for one year, was approved by 167 lawmakers — the minimum needed to pass the bill in the 200-seat Eduskunta, or parliament. Lawmakers from the Left Alliance and the Green League were among those who voted against the bill. Thirty-one lawmakers voted against it.
Opponents say it violates the Finnish constitution, the United Nations’ international human rights agreements, the EU’s commitments and the international treaties Finland has signed.
