Eastern border fence already covers more than one hundred kilometres of the border in Southeast Finland

Hundreds of companies have participated in the eastern border fence project as suppliers. Up to 600 people and 150 machines have worked at the construction sites on a daily basis. Moreover, the response of the approximately one thousand land owners has been constructive and cooperative throughout the project. The border fence will be completed this year as planned.

110 kilometres of protection against illegal border crossings

In Southeast Finland, the border fence is already 110 kilometres long. When the project is completed, Southeast Finland will have up to 141 kilometres of border fence. Commander of Southeast Finland Border Guard District, Colonel Jaakko Olli, assesses that the eastern barrier is necessary in the current security situation. He is in charge of border control at the part of the terrain border between Finland and Russia where border traffic used to be the heaviest.

–The border fence significantly improves the efficiency of border control, situational awareness and mobility of patrols, Colonel Olli states.

The eastern border barrier includes a robust fence, a modern technical surveillance system utilising artificial intelligence, as well as a road running along the fence. The border fence is constructed to those areas, where the operative need for it is the greatest, based on a risk assessment.

–In case of instrumentalised irregular migration, as well as to control large, even violent crowds, the eastern border fence is completely imperative. It also furthers the occupational safety of border guards, Colonel Olli states.

The border fence prevents individual illegal border crossings and, naturally, for those involved in cross-border crime, it significantly increases the risk to get caught, he adds.
For the time being, some parts of the border in Southeast Finland will remain unfenced. These areas include, inter alia, vast water bodies and areas with an already existing natural barrier at the border.

In the northern part of the eastern border, population close to the border, as well as roads and easily accessible terrain decrease and, together with them, the need for a physical border fence.

Extensive technical surveillance

Along with the eastern border fence, the technical surveillance capacity at the eastern border also expands. The border fence provides a real-time situational picture of the border area and alerts the Border Guard to any deviating actions.

–We are able to allocate patrols more efficiently and cost-effectively than before in order to prevent criminal operations and to catch those suspected of offences, Colonel Olli says.

According to him, the electricity grid and telecommunications that follow the eastern barrier also enable us to introduce rapidly evolving surveillance technique:

–As it is, we are currently preparing the procurement of a radio technical surveillance system and an anti-drone system, among others. The eastern border surveillance capacity advances now in a good manner and as required by the situation, Olli continues.

In the beginning of this year, the barrier fence currently under construction has already stopped two illegal border crossings in Southeast Finland. In one of these cases, the border guard district caught individuals who are suspected of and wanted for serious offences elsewhere in Finland.