30 September 2022 at 10:49 The government strengthens preparedness and control on the Norwegian-Russian border The mobilization in Russia and a possible travel ban for Russian citizens increases the risk of illegal border crossing on the Norwegian-Russian border outside the border crossing at Storskog, the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness writes in a press release. On Friday, a police helicopter with sensors will be stationed in the Finnmark Police District to increase the capacity to detect any illegal border crossings, the government reports. – We will close the border quickly if necessary, and changes can come at short notice. There have been few arrivals in Norway compared to Finland, and the situation is different here, says Minister of Justice and Emergency Emilie Enger Mehl. – Storskog is our only border station with Russia. We have a close dialogue with the police and customs about developments at the border, and check everyone who arrives carefully, says Mehl. In May, the government tightened up practices related to visas for Russians, and after this, tourist visas for Russians have mainly not been granted. The government is ready to carry out a similar tightening as Finland is now doing, but will await any implementation, the ministry writes. On Monday, news wrote about Russians who had crossed the Norwegian-Russian border on the run from the Russian regime. Politicians from different parties have disagreed on whether Norway should close the border or not. Finland has justified the tightening of the border with foreign policy considerations, after tens of thousands of Russian citizens arrived shortly after President Vladimir Putin announced that 300,000 reservists would be called up for the war in Ukraine. The border between Norway and Russia is 198 kilometers long, and lies largely in the Pasvikelven.
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