Poland is dispatching a team to Finland to provide guidance on safeguarding its border against "hybrid attacks" allegedly orchestrated by Russia.

Finland recently closed seven of its eight road crossings with Russia, and the last remaining one will also be shut. These decisions come in response to an influx of migrants attempting to cross, with Finland suggesting Russian involvement in this surge.

Poland faced a similar situation on its Belarus border since mid-2021, witnessing tens of thousands of migrants and asylum seekers, predominantly from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, attempting to cross with the Belarusian authorities' support.

The head of Poland's National Security Bureau (BBN), Jacek Siewiera, announced the dispatch of a Polish advisory mission to Finland during an interview with broadcaster TVP. Siewiera noted Finland's President Sauli Niinistö's request for assistance during a recent visit to Warsaw to meet Polish President Andrzej Duda.

Poland aims to share its experience in dealing with a wide array of threats, encompassing information warfare, cognitive manipulation, narrative management, and border enforcement. Siewiera emphasized the mission's objective: to offer support and share expertise with their new NATO ally.

According to Finland's border guard, approximately 900 asylum seekers entered from Russia this month, a stark increase from the previous average of fewer than one arrival per day. These migrants hail from various countries, including Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen.

Addressing the "cognitive sphere," Siewiera highlighted the involvement of civic groups, non-governmental organizations, and public entities in discussions concerning the state's response to forced migration.

Since the onset of the Belarus border crisis in 2021, Poland has taken a stringent stance, bolstering troop numbers, erecting physical and electronic barriers, and implementing a controversial "pushback" policy across the border. Criticism from local activists and international bodies, like the UN and Human Rights Watch, ensued, with Polish court rulings deeming the pushbacks unlawful.

Despite this, the Polish government asserts its actions are justified in safeguarding not only Poland's but also the EU's and NATO's eastern border. Germany and the EU have expressed support for Poland's approach. Photo by Fanny Schertzer, Wikimedia commons.