Norway may follow Finland’s lead and build fence along Russian border

Lauren Taylor

NORWAY’S LEADERS ARE EVALUATING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FENCE ALONG ITS 123-MILE BORDER WITH RUSSIA AFTER FINLAND TOOK SIMILAR ACTION.

NORWAY’S JUSTICE MINISTER, EMILIE ENGER MEHL, CONFIRMED THAT THE COUNTRY MAY ERECT A FENCE ALONG PART OR ALL OF ITS BORDER WITH RUSSIA TO ENHANCE BORDER SECURITY AND ADDRESS CONCERNS OVER POTENTIAL IRREGULAR MIGRATION.

FINLAND’S DECISION TO CONSTRUCT A 120-MILE-LONG FENCE ALONG ITS RUSSIAN BORDER CAME AFTER AN UNPRECEDENTED INFLUX OF OVER 1,300 UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS IN LATE 2023, SHORTLY AFTER JOINING NATO. FINLAND HAS REPEATEDLY ACCUSED RUSSIA OF WEAPONIZING IMMIGRATION TO SOW CRISIS IN THE REGION.

NORWAY’S PROPOSED FENCES WOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH SENSORS AND TECHNOLOGY CAPABLE OF DETECTING MOVEMENT NEAR THE BORDER, PROVIDING A SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE TO NORWAY’S BORDER SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE.

NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER HAS INDICATED READINESS TO CLOSE THE BORDER ON SHORT NOTICE IF NECESSARY.

THE POTENTIAL CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW BORDER FENCE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN NORDIC SECURITY STRATEGY AND COULD HAVE BROADER IMPLICATIONS FOR NATO’S NORTHERN FLANK.

NORWAY IS A MEMBER OF NATO HOWEVER BUT NOT A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.

IT IS PART OF THE SCHENGEN AREA MADE UP OF 29 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WITH NO INTERNAL BORDERS, ALLOWING THE FREE MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE WITHIN THE AREA.

THE ONE BORDER STATION BETWEEN NORWAY AND RUSSIA THE STORSKOG BORDER STATION HAS BEEN FORTIFIED SINCE 2016 WITH A 650-FOOT-LONG FENCE IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNIFICANT INFLUX OF MIGRANTS AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS IN 2015.