Finland extends ban on migrants seeking asylum on Russia border
Finland has kept all passenger crossing points closed along its 1,340-kilometre (833-mile) long eastern border with Russia since the end of 2023, after accusing Russia of an attempt to destabilise Finland by sending migrants from Africa and Asia to the border, an accusation Moscow has denied.
In 2023, some 1,300 migrants arrived via Russia, prompting the government in 2024 to pass emergency legislation permitting it to reject migrants and their asylum applications, against EU rules and Finland's international commitments, for a period of one year.
Finland's right-wing government had asked parliament to extend the validity of the emergency law by 1.5 years until the end of 2026, which parliament approved with 168 members in favour and 29 against on Wednesday.
"Border law accomplished, just barely. Thanks to the large majority who thought of the best for the homeland," Finance Minister Riikka Purra of the ruling nationalist Finns Party wrote in a post.
The government needed the support of 5/6 of lawmakers in the 200-strong parliament to pass the extension as an emergency law, a high bar reflecting the fundamental principles at stake.
"Finland should be a state governed by the rule of law and respond to the actions of its neighbour in a corresponding manner, not by abandoning its own constitution and international obligations, in other words, by acting like Russia," chair Minja Koskela of opposition Left Alliance said in a statement ahead of the vote.
The flow of migrants stopped after Finland closed down all official border crossing points, and in 2024 only eight people crossed the border illegally after January, interior ministry data showed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Trump's tariff plan seems to be working — proving all the naysayers wrong
For all the 'sky-is-falling' cries over President Donald Trump's tariffs, it looks like his strategy may be working — just as his Aug. 1 deadline nears. In the past week, the Trump folks struck deals with Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines — and may be on the verge of a deal with Europe: On Friday, the prez cited a 50-50 chance of reaching an agreement with the European Union. These developments — on top of previous deals with Vietnam, the United Kingdom and a framework on rare-earth exports and tech restrictions with China — go a long way toward standing up Trump's vision for the international economy, with better terms for America. And at least so far, no catastrophic fallout. Heck, the nation looks poised to benefit enormously on several fronts. Trump's deals in Asia, for starters, reopen US access to cheap markets, sidestepping China, our greatest economic and military rival. Indonesia and the Philippines will pay 19% tariffs on their exports to the United States and levy 0% tariffs on more than 99% of US goods. Japan will see 15% tariffs and invest more than half a trillion dollars into the US economy. Washington will also slap fewer restrictions on Indonesian, Filipino and Japanese goods, everything from cars and clothes to electronics and rubber. And now EU officials are signaling their support for a deal that would mirror the one Trump made with Japan — reciprocal tariffs of 15%. Notably, the EU includes 27 countries in a shared common market, representing the largest singular trading bloc for the United States. The EU deal would clearly benefit US consumers looking to buy, say, French wines or German cars, and also US producers seeking wider access to the European markets. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Meanwhile, the resolution of trade issues with so many countries will calm markets and bring confidence and stability to the business community. As for the predicted inflation, it's nowhere to be seen: June's consumer price index came in at a reasonable 2.7%. Recall it hit 9% under Joe Biden. That's partially because corporations, unsure of whether high tariffs will remain permanent and nervous about hiking prices, have absorbed most of the tariffs' costs, at least for now. More good news: The tariffs brought in $64 billion in revenue for the government in just the first three months since Trump's April 2 'Liberation Day' announcement. He's suggested issuing 'rebates' based on that haul, but far better to use the new revenue to pay down the runaway national debt. Yes, there's plenty more to do: Team Trump needs to finalize agreements with Canada, India and Mexico, along with the EU, and numerous smaller countries, before the president's across-the-board reciprocal tariffs hit Aug. 1. So considerable uncertainty remains. But clearly the signs are good, at least so far — despite all the doomy predictions.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
US appeals court strikes down SEC rule on 'audit trail' funding
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Friday struck down 2023 regulations adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on funding a comprehensive market surveillance system, finding that Wall Street's top regulator had not provided a sufficient basis for allowing stock exchanges to pass on its costs to their members, court papers showed. The unanimous decision represented another blow to SEC regulations adopted under the Biden administration, which faced concerted opposition from industry and Republican lawmakers. It was also a setback for the Consolidated Audit Trail, a repository of investor and transaction data meant to give regulators overarching visibility into U.S. market operations that has faced delays and obstacles for more than a decade. The American Securities Association and Citadel Securities, which brought the lawsuit, both hailed the outcome. The ruling "prevents a tax hike on every American investor who buys or sells a share of stock," ASA President Chris Iacovella said in a statement. The SEC said it was considering its next steps. "Before the court's decision, Chairman Atkins directed SEC staff to undertake a comprehensive review of the CAT," said a spokesperson, referring to commission chief Paul Atkins. Over the objections of its Republican members, the SEC in 2023 split the operating costs among buyers, sellers, and exchanges. Officials said at the time this would divide costs evenly but also allow exchanges several years to recoup hundreds of millions already spent. This drew stiff objections from the investment industry, which said it could be left paying an unfairly large share. The two Republicans are now part of the five-member commission's controlling majority. In an opinion for a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for 11th Circuit, Circuit Judge Andrew Brasher said that, because the SEC had not advanced a sufficient justification in deciding how the system's cost would fall on different actors in the marketplace, "we conclude that the 2023 Funding Order is arbitrary and capricious" and therefore in violation of federal laws governing the crafting of regulations. The appeals court sent the rule back to the SEC for further processing in line with the court's decision. The SEC mandated the CAT's creation in 2012 as a response to the "flash crash" of 2010 when major Wall Street indexes temporarily erased nearly $1 trillion in market value in a matter of minutes. Officials say it can allow regulators to spot market manipulation and have cited its data in enforcement actions. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump signals stalled US-Canada trade talks as tariff deadline looms
-- As the clock ticks toward a critical August 1 deadline, U.S.-Canada trade negotiations show few signs of progress, with officials on both sides signaling a hardening of positions. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that talks with Ottawa have been largely unsuccessful, raising the possibility that tariffs may be the administration's primary course of action. 'We will have most of our deals finished, if not all. We haven't really had a lot of luck with Canada,' Trump told reporters. 'I think Canada could be one where they just pay tariffs. It's not really a negotiation.' Washington's immediate focus has turned toward the European Union, while Canada remains on the periphery of the White House trade agenda. 'We're working very diligently with Europe, the EU, which covers a lot of territory... That's the big one right now... We don't have a deal with Canada, we haven't been focused on it,' Trump added. Without a new trade pact in place, existing tariffs on certain Canadian exports are scheduled to rise to 35% from 25%, particularly on non-CUSMA goods. Canadian Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc concluded talks in Washington this week, meeting briefly with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. 'We've made progress, but we have a lot of work in front of us,' LeBlanc said following the meetings. Prime Minister Mark Carney has tempered expectations for any breakthrough, reiterating the government's commitment to national interest over expediency. "The Government of Canada will not accept a bad deal,' Carney stated, adding that Ottawa would proceed only 'in the best interest of Canadians.' Analysts from BofA Securities have cited tariff exemptions for CUSMA goods as leaving Canada and Mexico as the best-positioned countries currently subject to U.S. levies. The exemptions afford Canada some leeway, aligning with Trump's comments that the government may potentially foot the tariff bill, all in hopes of a better deal. Related articles Trump signals stalled US-Canada trade talks as tariff deadline looms These Under-the-Radar Stocks Offer Better Risk-Reward Ratio Than Nvidia Risks Rising? Smart Money Dodged 46%+ Drawdowns on These High-Flying Names Error al recuperar los datos Inicia sesión para acceder a tu cartera de valores Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos Error al recuperar los datos
