Estonia urges Finland to let 20,000 Estonians working there to visit their home country

The Estonian-Finnish relations have further aggravated after the latter’s government is still refusing to open its borders for those travelling through sea or land alternatives until June 27.

Currently, visitors can travel to Finland through air traffic, whereas those who decide to travel by ferry are required to undergo a quarantine restriction.

These restrictions have left nearly 20,000 Estonian workers residing in Finland in limbo, unable to visit their families for months, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Previously, Estonia launched a high-profile campaign against the restrictions imposed by Finland. The Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, reached out to the Finnish ambassador regarding the matter. On June 9, Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets addressed the issue to the European Commission, questioning whether the justification for the border measures is in line with the EU law.

In a letter directed to the European Commissioner for Transport, Commissioner for Home Affairs, and the Commissioner for Employment, Minister Liimets asserted that these restrictions on labour migration affect other member states significantly.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have imposed various restrictions on free movement for health protection purposes. However, they must be justified and proportionate and not create practical obstacles to cross-border labour migration,” the Minister said.

Seven Estonian parliament members at the European Council have also expressed their concerns that Finland’s policy is disproportionate.

“I reaffirmed Estonia’s concern that free movement in the EU has not been restored, as some member states continue to apply restrictions to free movement that are disproportionate and unjustified, not applied horizontally, but targeting persons using specific means of transport,” Aivo Orav, the Estonian member of the European Union noted.

Last week, the Estonian Prime Minister, Kallas, published an emotional and open letter directed to his Finnish counterpart, noting such a situation should not happen in the EU member states of the 21st century.

“No person should have to choose what they consider more important, their family or their job. At the end of January, however, thousands of Estonians with families in Estonia and a job in Finland were forced to make such a choice,” Kallas noted in his letter.

Similar restrictions are being applied to the Finnish-Swedish border and other Schengen area countries such as Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Norway, Portugal, Poland, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Denmark, Czechia, and Hungary.

The only European countries’ citizens permitted to enter Finland through land transportation are Malta and Iceland. The restricted countries citizens are allowed to travel to Finland only for work or other essential travel and through air traffic. Upon arrival in Finland, they are subject to COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements.

Non-Schengen Area Countries like Bulgaria, Andorra, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania aren’t allowed to enter through any other transportation alternative besides air travelling. The same applies to the EU’s Green List countries and third countries.

SOURCE: Schengen Visa Info

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