Government seeks to extend Finland’s border turnback law through 2028

Finland’s government wants to keep its so-called turnback law in force until the end of 2028, saying the threat of instrumentalized migration along the eastern border has not materially changed.

The Interior Ministry announced the proposal on Thursday. The government based its assessment on information and evaluations from the Finnish Border Guard, which it said showed that the situation remained broadly similar to that of 2025, when lawmakers last extended the measure.

The law, formally known as the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalized Migration, currently runs until the end of 2026. The proposed extension would take effect no later than the end of that year.

Land crossing points on Finland’s border with Russia have remained closed since Dec. 15, 2023. The exceptional legislation originally entered into force in July 2024, and Parliament approved its previous extension through the end of 2026 in summer 2025.

Critics say the law conflicts with Finland’s Constitution, European Union law, and international human-rights and refugee obligations, particularly the principle of non-refoulement. Despite those objections, a substantial majority of members of Parliament has previously supported extending the legislation.