Minister of the Interior Rantanen and Austria's Federal Minister for the Interior Gerhard Karner to meet in Finland

Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen will meet Austria's Federal Minister for the Interior Gerhard Karner on 27 October. The ministers will travel together to Vaalimaa, Finland's eastern border, where they will receive a briefing on the situation at the eastern border, on the progress of the construction of the border fence, and on border arrangements.

“The serious disruption continues at the border between Finland and Russia, and the border crossing points on the eastern border will remain closed for the time being. Joint preparedness is now more important than ever. We are not just protecting our own borders, we also have a particular responsibility for the security of Europe as a whole,“ said Minister Rantanen.

The security situation and threat environment in Europe have changed, and security challenges continue to persist and to evolve. For example, offences where drones are used for smuggling and unauthorised border crossings by drones have increased in number.

In Finland’s view, EU Member States that have an external land border play an important role in detecting drones and particularly in countering low-flying drones in border areas. Member States must have tools to detect, monitor and counteract drones.

Ministers to discuss Frontex's role and migration

Finland and Austria have like-minded views on many border security questions. The ministers will discuss a variety of topics in their meeting, including the development of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, and how Frontex could better support Member States in border security duties in future, including in the area of free movement, if necessary.

The ministers will also discuss innovative solutions to migration, such as return hubs to be located outside EU countries. A person staying illegally in the EU could be returned to a return hub instead of the country of origin or transferred to a return hub to wait until they can be returned to the country of origin. Finland and Austria take a positive view of return hubs.

In March, the European Commission submitted a proposal for a new return regulation that aims to improve the effectiveness of the return of persons staying illegally in the EU and to prevent unauthorised movements within the Schengen area.

Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 2216, [email protected]