Finnish authorities may soon decide to completely close border crossings with Russia due to the influx of asylum seekers from third countries. This was reported by the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti.

According to the newspaper's sources, the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo may decide on Monday that all checkpoints on the land border with Russia will be closed on Wednesday night.

Last week, the Finnish authorities closed four crossings in the southeast of the country. Four checkpoints remained open in the east and northeast, on the border with Russia's Karelia and Murmansk region. Citizens of Somalia, Syria, Iraq and other countries have since begun arriving at the Vartius border crossing, which is now the closest and most operational checkpoint to St. Petersburg.

Finnish authorities believe that Russia is involved in the transportation of asylum seekers to the Finnish border.

There has been no official announcement of the Finnish authorities' plans to completely close the border.