Finnish Border Guard’s powers related to preparedness to be strengthened 

The Government proposes improvements to the Finnish Border Guard's preparedness and its ability to respond to the requirements of the changed security and operating environment. The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a government proposal for an act amending the Border Guard Act and certain related acts.

According to the proposal, the Finnish Border Guard’s powers in normal conditions will be extended, especially at the internal borders of the Schengen area and in sea areas.

“Rapid and long-lasting changes have taken place in Finland’s security environment. It is essential to develop the powers of the Border Guard so that we can respond to the challenges of the changed security environment. We must ensure that border guards can operate efficiently and effectively at all borders in all situations,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

In future, the Finnish Border Guard could carry out checks at internal borders that are limited in time and area to maintain border security even if internal border controls have not been temporarily reinstated. The aim is to improve the situational awareness of the Border Guard at internal borders and to reduce the need for the temporary reintroduction of internal border controls.

The Government proposes a new duty for the Finnish Border Guard to supervise critical undersea infrastructure and the related powers in Finland's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone. In accordance with the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Border Guard would also have the right in the exclusive economic zone to board and inspect any vessel suspected of not flying a flag  and any Finnish vessel flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its flag.

The legislative proposal also includes amendments and clarifications to the provisions concerning, for example, technical surveillance and surveillance of the electromagnetic spectrum carried out by the Border Guard, as well as interception of the path of unmanned vehicles. The intention is also to clarify the legislation on the integration of border guard forces into the Finnish Defence Forces.

According to the Government Programme, the powers of the Border Guard will be developed to meet the demands of the security environment. The Government will examine the need to increase the powers of the Border Guard at internal borders in accordance with the practices of other EU Member States and increase those powers as appropriate. The Government will also carry out an overall review of the regulation on incidents and crisis situations in all administrative branches.

The project has taken into account the conclusions of previous preliminary studies and examined other needs for legislative amendments related to preparedness.

The government proposal will be submitted to Parliament in spring 2026. The proposed acts are scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2026 at the latest.

Inquiries:
Anne Ihanus, Senior Adviser for Legislative Affairs, tel. +358 295 421 608, [email protected]