On Tuesday, the Deputy Chancellor of Justice stopped the government’s proposal to tighten the restrictions on the eastern border, because it would not have adequately protected the possibility of applying for asylum.
Network Director of the European Competence Center for Combating Hybrid Threats Jukka Savolainen criticized the Deputy Chancellor of Justice Mikko Puumalainen the decision to reject the government’s proposal on tightening the restrictions on the eastern border.
– I was a little afraid that it would turn out like this, Savolainen stated in the A-studio on Tuesday.
He reminded that the amendment to the Border Guard Act was approved in the summer of 2022, just before Midsummer and the summer holidays. In his opinion, many people missed what happened.
– It established a law that, based on a national emergency, the Finnish government can decide that we temporarily do not comply with all international agreements as on a normal day, Savolainen explained.
– I wonder if this could have gone unnoticed even by the deputy ombudsman, he continued.
Savolainen was asked if, in his opinion, we should refer to international agreements with a glove and close the border.
– There is absolutely no hint of a glove, but now due to the potentially catastrophic scenario of a national emergency, we are making a reservation that we will not comply in all respects with the international agreements to which we are committed.
According to Savolainen, this is in accordance with international law, because international agreements cannot be “suicide agreements” for states.
See all of Tuesday’s A-studio here.