The key facts

  • Sensors recorded the border crossing late on Wednesday evening near Lake Ilajanjärvi in Ilomantsi
  • The detained foreign national applied for asylum in Finland
  • The commander of the North Karelia district held talks with his Russian counterpart in Suoyarvi

What happened

The North Karelia Border Guard district has launched an investigation into a suspected illegal border crossing from Russia into Finland. According to available information, the incident occurred late on Wednesday evening near Lake Ilajanjärvi in the municipality of Ilomantsi; the crossing was recorded by surveillance sensors. The person is believed to have entered Finland through a forested section of the border where the new fence has not yet been installed.

Detention and investigation

Border guards detained a foreign national who, after being detained, applied for asylum in Finland. Before the detention, the person had managed to call the emergency services himself and report that he had crossed the border. The authorities opened a preliminary investigation on suspicion of a border violation. In addition, the commander of the North Karelia district held talks with his Russian counterpart in Suoyarvi, on the Russian side of the border.