The Finland pushback law could remain in force until the end of 2028, as the government argues that Russia may continue using migration to exert pressure on the country’s eastern border. The Ministry of the Interior (Sisäministeriö) has opened a public consultation on the proposal, which would extend the legislation for another two years without changing its content.
The law, formally called the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration, allows the Finnish government to temporarily restrict the reception of asylum applications in a limited section of the national border.
The current legislation is due to expire on 31 December 2026. The government intends to submit the extension proposal to Parliament in September, after the consultation closes on 14 August.
Finland pushback law could remain in place for two more years
Interior Minister (Sisäministeri) Mari Rantanen, from the Finns Party, said the authorities expect the threat of instrumentalised migration to remain high.
“The security authorities estimate that the threat of instrumentalised migration at Finland’s eastern border will remain high for quite some time,” Rantanen said. She added that the government does not expect rapid changes in the security situation.
The proposed bill would extend the law until 31 December 2028. It would not broaden the powers already granted to the authorities or make other changes to the legislation.
The law does not apply automatically. Its use requires a separate government decision and what the authorities describe as highly exceptional and urgent circumstances.
Under such a decision, Finnish border guards could prevent some people arriving from Russia from entering Finland and decline to process their applications for international protection in the restricted area.
The government presents the measure as a national security instrument designed for situations in which another state facilitates migration to destabilise Finland or influence its political decisions.
A temporary measure first adopted in 2024
Finland introduced the Border Security Act in July 2024, following an increase in arrivals through the Russian border during the previous year.
Since August 2023, more than 1,300 third-country nationals without valid visas have entered Finland from Russia. Finnish authorities said Russian officials or other actors had helped people reach the border, describing the movement as instrumentalised migration.
Russia has denied accusations that it deliberately directed asylum seekers towards Finland.
The legislation was originally scheduled to remain in force for one year. Parliament subsequently extended it until the end of 2026. The latest proposal would therefore represent its second extension.
Although commonly described as the “pushback law”, the legislation has not been activated. Finland has instead relied primarily on decisions made under the Border Guard Act to close its eastern crossing points.
The border with Russia remains closed
Finland’s land border crossings with Russia have been closed continuously since 15 December 2023, following a series of government decisions.
The latest decision, adopted on 4 June 2026, keeps the crossings closed until further notice. The restrictions will be reviewed as the security situation develops.
Applications for international protection cannot currently be submitted at crossing points on the land border with Russia. They can still be lodged at other open Finnish external-border locations serving air and maritime traffic.
The government says the closures have achieved their immediate objective, as the arrival of migrants described as part of an instrumentalised operation has stopped for now.
Finland shares a border of around 1,340 kilometres with Russia. It is the longest border between Russia and a country belonging to both the European Union and NATO, making it central to Finland’s broader security policy following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The law remains legally contested
The Border Security Act has faced criticism from legal scholars and human rights organisations since it was first proposed.
The United Nations Refugee Agency, the Finnish Red Cross and other organisations argued in 2024 that denying asylum seekers access to an individual procedure could conflict with European and international refugee law.
Their concerns focus particularly on the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits states from returning a person to a place where they could face persecution, torture or other serious harm.
The Finnish government maintains that the law contains safeguards for vulnerable people and individuals considered to face an immediate risk. Supporters of the measure argue that existing asylum rules were not designed for operations in which a foreign government deliberately uses migrants as an instrument of pressure.
The legislation was approved in 2024 as an exceptional act, requiring a five-sixths majority in Parliament because of its tensions with constitutional rights. Its renewal will therefore remain both a security and rule-of-law question.
The parliamentary debate expected in the autumn will determine whether Finland retains the measure until 2028. It will also show how far the country is prepared to restrict access to asylum while Russia remains its main perceived security threat and the European Union continues to strengthen controls along its eastern external border.
