DUBBED LATU 23, the joined preparedness exercise focused on Finland’s readiness to handle a major migrant influx into the country’s borders in a short period of time.
The Finnish Border Guard led the initiative in partnership with the Defense Forces, and the Finnish Immigration Services, to name a few.
The five-day exercise started on October 2nd and ended on October 6th.
Some 1,000 people are participating in LATU 23, including representatives from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), as well as the Estonian Police and Border Guard.
The drill was made amid concerns that Finland’s eastern border with Russia could be targeted by a wave of migrants.
To note, some 32,000 asylum seekers arrived in Finland during Europe’s migration crisis in 2015.
In April of this year, Finland built the first stretch of a fence on its border with Russia, less than two weeks after it joined the NATO military alliance.
