The mystery of the “Somali cyclist” has been revealed: foreigners explained how to get from Russia to Finland
[ad_1]
On Friday night, Finland will close three more land border crossings in the Russian Federation, leaving only one – this was officially announced on Thursday following the results of a government meeting. The reason is uncontrolled activity on Russian borders by African and Middle Eastern citizens.
We found out how they get from their warm countries to the cold Leningrad region to the borders of Suomi.
According to the official statement of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, only one border crossing will remain operating on the land border between his country and the Russian Federation – the northernmost one.
“This is Raya-Jooseppi, 250 km from Murmansk,” explain upset residents of border settlements on the Russian side. “Before, no one except trucks used it – it’s very inconvenient, such a wilderness!” The border with Norway is already close there; if you’re going that far, it’s more convenient to go through Storskog.
But, alas, if you believe the latest reports in the Norwegian press, Storskog is also under threat of closure. Last week, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said that his country is not yet closing land border checkpoints on the borders of the Russian Federation, “but is ready to do so at any moment if necessary.”
“Just yesterday, the Finnish vice-chancellor refused to leave just one land crossing to the Russian Federation, saying that this “infringes on the rights of asylum seekers,” says the Russian visa intermediary. “And today the government decided to close it.” If the Norwegians start changing decisions so quickly, then Storskog can be closed at any moment. And this is our only ground checkpoint with Norway.
But before the scandal with the notorious “Somali cyclist”, detained by Finnish border guards while trying to cross the Finnish border from the St. Petersburg region on a two-wheeled vehicle, Norway was the most loyal to Russians of all European neighbors: although it introduced a ban on the entry of Russian cars, it imposed a ban on Russians If you have a Schengen card, you can easily pass through modes of transport.
“They write here that Russia is deliberately sending groups of Africans and Arabs to the land borders of the EU,” says Olga, a Russian woman who permanently lives in Oslo with her Norwegian husband. – True, ordinary Norwegians don’t believe in this.
Meanwhile, the Finnish side, represented by its Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, noted that their country is “preparing for different scenarios and can take even more drastic measures against Russia, which has provoked the refugee situation.” And the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs added that the closure of the checkpoint, although contrary to EU laws, is now “vitally necessary” within the framework of “security policy.” There will be only one operational land crossing to Finland on the Russian borders – the northernmost and most inaccessible – until December 23, 2023. And then “the behavior of African refugees will show.” But what do the Russians have to do with it?
After much questioning in the depths of the dormitory of one of the capital’s universities, where most of the students are from the Middle East and from African countries, I managed to find a Palestinian graduate student, who called himself by the Spanish name Manolo, who shed light on the mystery of the “Somali cyclists.” A Palestinian shows me a website with a domain in Lebanon, where the photos actually show a checkpoint to Finland in the Leningrad region, but everything else is in Arabic script and cannot be translated automatically. Manolo translates that this is a resource for helping refugees from disadvantaged areas. And he sells a “comprehensive service”, similar to a “package” in the tourism industry.
– For example, with leaving Baghdad. 4 thousand euros for 5 days. Includes flight to Minsk, transfer to the St. Petersburg region with accommodation in a hostel, issuance of “permitted light transport” and a bus to the land border.
– What is “light transport”?
– It’s not written here, but it’s probably the one they issue on. I hope it’s not roller skates or a unicycle.
Here, Manolo’s knowledgeable neighbor, a student from that same Baghdad, adds that they do not allow through any vehicles that require license plates, since they will be Russian. And the Finns have no right to find fault with everything else.
“And if you fly to Moscow, then 5 thousand euros per person,” adds Ibrahim from Baghdad. – And our travel agencies give out bicycles for some money. My brother got a broken one for 5 thousand rubles to drive 100 meters!
– In yours – is it in an Iraqi travel agency? How can she arrange something like this without the knowledge of the Russian tourism industry?!
– Yes, in Baghdad. She has partners in the Russian Federation, but they help with invitations to students from our country and independent tourists interested in Russia, not refugees.
Newspaper headline:
There is no smell of Schengen
[ad_2]
Source link
