The changed operational environment emphasizes the role of Finnish Customs as a security authority – Minister of Finance Riikka Purra visited the closed eastern border

Security policy changes and societal expectations of Customs have set new challenges for Finnish Customs. Customs carries an increasingly extensive responsibility for the safety of society. One of the most important tasks of Customs is enforcing the sanctions against Russia.

Minister of Finance Riikka Purra visited the Vaalimaa border crossing point on Monday, 14 October as a guest of Finnish Customs. The border crossing points for road traffic at the eastern border were closed in November 2023, and thus the goods and passenger traffic there ceased completely.

- Customs is doing important security work successfully despite the tight economic framework and productivity measures. Here at the border, the importance of security is emphasised – the geopolitical situation has brought new tasks to Customs. Border surveillance and controls are basic tasks for a sovereign country, said Minister of Finance Purra.

The objective of the operations of Finnish Customs is to ensure a safe and stable society and environment. As the authority in charge of the control of international trade, the task of Finnish Customs is to protect society and its financial interests and to facilitate legal foreign trade. One of the most central tasks of Customs in the last few years has been enforcing the sanctions against Russia and monitoring the effects of the sanctions.

- Security policy changes and societal expectations of Customs have changed our operational environment and set new challenges for Finnish Customs and other internal security authorities. The role of Finnish Customs as a security authority has become even more important. In addition to so-called hard security, Finnish Customs is also responsible for security in a broader sense. This means enabling equal competition for companies and the safety of the consumers, the environment and the climate, for example. Finnish Customs is thus ensuring the safety and well-being of our entire society, said Sami Rakshit, Director General of Finnish Customs.

The changed operational environment has increased the significance of cooperation between security authorities. PCB cooperation (Police, Customs, Border Guard) plays an important part in ensuring internal security.

In today’s visit Jenni Kinnunen, Head of the Vaalimaa Border Control Station at the Border Guard presented contingency arrangements of the Vaalimaa border crossing point to Minister Purra, Director General Rakshit, State Secretary Slunga-Poutsalo and Permanent Secretary Juha Majanen, and talked about the meaning of the new border procedure legislation for border control.

The closed eastern border puts pressure on the western border

Currently, the Customs personnel from the closed border crossing points are on secondment mainly in the ports of Helsinki and at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Of Finland’s international trade, 95 per cent arrives in Finland by sea from the EU. The importance of the land border has also increased with respect to goods trade and supply security. When the goods traffic is re-routed due to the situation with eastern traffic and trade, there is added pressure on the ports but also on Finland’s western border, which is an important supply route for Finland.

Due to the closed eastern border, there is an increased need for border control at the western border in order to uncover illegal goods traffic and facilitate legal goods traffic. By making sure that the western border is well-functioning and secure, we can ensure the movement of goods and functioning logistics.

- Customs is the only security authority that is permanently present in the ports and at the western land border, said Director General Rakshit.