This of course flies in the face of both the facts and reality on the ground, they came into Europe as asylum seekers.
When asked if he felt the Paris attacks would affect the Finnish asylum seeker situation, the prime minister said it wouldn’t. “Asylum seekers have left their homes to escape these kinds of situations. I see no direct connection,” he said.
PM Sipilä: Border checks should be reinstated in Europe if Schengen doesn’t work
Finland’s Prime Minister Juha Sipilä says he is prepared to return border controls within the EU if border surveillance at Europe’s external borders cannot be made effective. Border controls throughout the European Union have been stepped up after the Paris attacks, he argues. President Sauli Niinistö confirmed that Finland will increase its surveillance operations in response to the tragic news.
Prime Minister Juha Sipilä says Finland’s security level will not be increased as a result of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. The premier did say however that the country’s border operations have been tightened and the police have upped their readiness.
Sipilä said the events in Paris will not directly affect the situation of asylum seekers in Finland, but mentioned that the Nordic country is prepared to take over the monitoring of its own borders if the Schengen Agreement cannot be made to work. First adopted in 1985, the Schengen Agreement abolished internal border controls in the EU, but requires external border controls for travellers entering and exiting the area.
“We must set the agreement straight. If it cannot work as it should, then we should reinstate internal border controls among the Member States,” Sipilä told journalists in a short press conference at the Government Palace Saturday evening.
Preliminary discussion about resuming internal border controls has already taken place among the EU countries, said Sipilä, most recently at the EU’s Summit in Malta this week.
Border controls would hamper free movement
EU leaders have woken up to the massive numbers of asylum seekers seeking to enter Europe once again, after a brief lull in migration at the end of the summer.
“The external borders should be controlled properly, and we should also be able to return people to other EU countries at will,” said Sipilä, explaining how the Schengen Agreement is supposed to work.
Imposing internal border controls within the EU would mean the end of one of the key principles of the Union: free movement between the Member States.
When asked if he felt the Paris attacks would affect the Finnish asylum seeker situation, the prime minister said it wouldn’t.
“Asylum seekers have left their homes to escape these kinds of situations. I see no direct connection,” he said.
President promises closer monitoring too
Following a Saturday evening meeting of government, Border Guard and police leadership to discuss the events in Paris, President Sauli Niinistö confirmed that Finland’s monitoring practices will be intensified as a result of the tragedy.
“Here in Finland we will likely tighten both our surveillance and our readiness. In this context, it will be necessary to intensify our contacts with the other EU Member States, and especially among the authorities. Because information is now of the utmost importance. We must learn everything that is essential to know,” President Niinistö said.
