23/11/2023 (Agence Europe) – The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, is to provide additional support to strengthen Finland’s borders with Russia, it announced in a press release on Thursday 23 November. It plans to deploy 50 border guards and other staff, as well as equipment such as patrol cars, from next week, at a time when Russia is accused of illegally bringing migrants to the Finnish border. On Wednesday 22 November, Helsinki announced that it had closed several border crossings. Frontex plans to provide the first group of officers to be deployed on Wednesday 29 November, in order to extend the joint Frontex Terra 2023 operation in Finland. These will include border surveillance officers, assistance with registering migrants, documentation experts and interpreters. Frontex currently has 10 agents at Finland’s borders. (SP)