All articles tagged with #border closure
Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan until further notice to prevent the conflict from spreading after fighting near al‑Tina, saying exceptions may be granted for humanitarian reasons. The move comes as almost a million Sudanese have crossed into Chad since 2023, with casualties reported in border clashes; Chad denies aiding the RSF and warns it may retaliate against aggression.
Chad closed its eastern border with Sudan after weekend clashes in the town of Tine killed five Chadian soldiers and three civilians, with authorities saying the border will stay closed until further notice to prevent spillover and protect civilians and refugees as more troops are deployed to the frontier.
Since the Gaza ceasefire was signed last month, Israel has continued to violate the agreement through air strikes, shootings, incursions, and border closures, resulting in civilian casualties, destruction, and delays in aid and prisoner exchanges, despite Palestinian claims of compliance.
Israel's indefinite closure of the sole land crossing to the West Bank has caused significant hardship for Palestinians, including family separations and medical delays, amid fears of increased restrictions following Western recognition of Palestine as an independent state, which Israel condemns.
Poland's decision to close its border poses a risk to EU-China trade, while China explores an Arctic route to Europe amid changing geopolitical dynamics driven by climate change.
Russia urged Poland to reopen its border with Belarus, criticizing Poland's closure as destructive amid ongoing Russian-Belarusian military exercises, which have heightened tensions on NATO's eastern flank.
South Africa has temporarily closed the Lebombo border crossing with Mozambique due to violent protests following Mozambique's disputed presidential election, which was won by the ruling Frelimo party. The unrest has led to deadly clashes, with vehicles and buildings set ablaze on the Mozambican side. South African authorities have taken measures to ensure public safety, including deploying police and army personnel to prevent the violence from spilling over. The protests have resulted in at least 18 deaths, and Mozambique's opposition leader has gone into hiding amid threats to his safety.
Late night hosts, including Ronny Chieng and Jimmy Fallon, humorously reacted to President Biden's temporary order to shut down the Southern border to asylum seekers, with Chieng joking that Biden is trying to win the election and suggesting Ticketmaster should handle border security.
Finland has decided to keep its border with Russia closed indefinitely due to the risk of "instrumentalized migration," following an influx of around 900 asylum seekers from countries like Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen in November 2023. The closure also extends to several maritime crossing points to prevent potential migrant arrivals by sea or over lakes. This decision mirrors Russia's strategy of sending asylum seekers to Finland's eastern border, similar to the situation at the border between Belarus and Poland in 2021. Additionally, Ukraine and Finland have signed a long-term security agreement.
Finland has announced the indefinite extension of its closure of land border crossings with Russia and the addition of several ports to a list where travel from Russia is prohibited, citing concerns about instrumentalized migration. The government accuses Moscow of steering migrants to the frontier to pressure Finland and the EU over their support for Ukraine. Despite the closure, a few asylum seekers have continued to arrive from Russia, prompting plans for temporary legislation to block asylum seekers. Finland's decision to join NATO and sign a bilateral defense pact with the US has strained its relations with Russia.
Finland extends the closure of its border with Russia until April 14 due to ongoing concerns about Russia's "hybrid operation" of funneling migrants towards the frontier, posing a serious threat to Finland's national security and public order. The government believes that Russia has not stopped its behavior and anticipates that the situation will continue for some time, with hundreds, if not thousands, of migrants waiting on the Russian side to cross into Finland. Russia denies the allegations and accuses Finland of refusing to engage in dialogue on the issue. All eight Finland-Russia border crossing points for people have been closed since December 15, with only the southeastern rail checkpoint for cargo trains in Vainikkala remaining open for now.
Key senators in the US have reached a deal to require the shutdown of the southern border with Mexico if illegal migrant crossings reach certain levels, as part of efforts to address the ongoing migrant surge. The deal also aims to expedite the asylum process and grant new emergency authority to the Department of Homeland Security to close the border in case of surges. The negotiations involve a bipartisan group of senators and are expected to be unveiled soon, with the goal of preventing overwhelming surges at the border.
Burundi has closed its borders with Rwanda, accusing its neighbor of funding rebel attacks by the Red Tabara group. Rwandan President Paul Kagame denies the charge, but Burundi's government has labeled him a "bad neighbor." The closure follows a December attack by Red Tabara near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda regrets the unilateral border closure, citing violations of regional cooperation principles. This move adds to the tenuous relations between the two countries, despite their shared language, ethnic composition, and colonial history.
Finland has closed its border with Russia again after over 300 asylum seekers entered the country within two days, accusing Russia of deliberately sending them over in revenge for Finland joining NATO. The border had been reopened for travel between the two countries after a two-week closure, but the Finnish government decided to close it again for a month. Finland shares a 1,340-km border with Russia, which also serves as the EU's external border. The influx of asylum seekers is seen as an orchestrated move by Moscow in retaliation for Finland's increased defense cooperation with the United States. The border is set to reopen on January 14.
Dozens of migrants crossed into Finland from Russia just hours before the reclosure of two border crossing points. Finland blames Russia for sending migrants to destabilize the country, while Russia denies the accusation. The Finnish government reopened the crossings briefly as a trial but decided to close them again until January 14 due to concerns over the influx of migrants without proper documentation or visas. Finland accuses Russia of deliberately ushering migrants to the border, with the majority seeking asylum in Finland. Only the rail checkpoint will remain open between the two countries.