“Guys, the road is open”: hundreds of refugees rushed to Finland again

People with bicycles are brought in minibuses

On December 14, Finland opened two automobile checkpoints on the border with Russia. From early morning, refugees from the Middle East began to appear at the entrance to the checkpoint again. This time people came prepared: in warm clothes, with bicycles.

We talked to Russians who are also crossing the border and looked at what refugees were writing about in Arab chats.

Valery crossed the border with Finland at Niirala early in the morning.

“The situation is calm, if not for the “bikers,” that’s what the man calls the migrants. – There was no one leaving Russia at all, except for Africans and Finns, who stopped in, refueled and went back. Since it is now prohibited to bring gasoline cans into Finland, people simply fill up a full tank. Their gasoline costs 1.7-2 euros (170-200 rubles), so this results in significant savings.

Those living in Finland always refueled in Russia; this is a normal situation for border regions.

But as for refugees, I saw that several minibuses brought the “athletes”. The passengers took their bikes and left for the checkpoint. There were about twenty people. But our border guards only let a few through. For some reason, the rest were left to freeze, which the Finns and ours were incredibly happy about. Nobody wants the borders to be closed again because of refugees.

Valery sends photos from the Russian side of the border. Bicycles are parked near the checkpoint. Several people nearby are waiting for something.

“They say that there are more and more refugees every hour,” the interlocutor continues. “Apparently, they were also looking forward to the opening of the borders. According to rumors, many cyclists have accumulated 15 kilometers from the checkpoint. There they have their documents checked in advance.

Meanwhile, a fuss began in Arab chats. Refugees cooperate and head towards the Finnish border. Some are nominated from St. Petersburg, some from Moscow.

“Guys, the road is open, our people are starting to arrive,” writes one of the chat participants.

From the conversations it is clear that some of the refugees waited out the closure of the borders in inexpensive St. Petersburg hotels near the station. We paid about 2500 rubles for the room.

Those traveling to the Finnish border complain that taxi drivers have raised prices. Knowledgeable people suggest: “In Vyborg or St. Petersburg, look for a Tajik or Uzbek, they will take you for 3000-5000 rubles.”

There is talk about certain guides who guarantee to take you across the border for 600 euros.

Refugees closely monitor news on current topics. Share links to publications in Finnish media.

But the Russians who are planning to travel to Finland are panicking.

“We also read Arab chats and know that they are going to storm the checkpoint again,” says one of the women.

“There are a huge number of requests to transport these comrades around St. Petersburg,” the man writes in the chat.

People are posting videos of cars with open trunks that are full of bicycles.

“It was our people who got in on the act and decided to bring the bikes in advance for sale. They understand that the demand will be crazy,” one of the chat subscribers comments on the situation.

Apparently, the refugees have not given up the idea of ​​getting to Finland. Russians and Finns fear that if the influx of foreign citizens is catastrophic in size, the “window” to Europe will quickly slam shut.