Finland plans to adopt temporary legislation that will allow its border authorities to block asylum-seekers seeking to enter its territory from Russia, the government said. Finland closed all crossings on its 1,340-kilometer border with Russia late last year amid a growing number of arrivals who lacked valid documents to enter the European Union. However, a few asylum-seekers have continued to arrive and the government believes the numbers could rise significantly with the advent of spring and a rise in temperatures. Helsinki accuses Moscow of funneling migrants to the border, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
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