Support The Moscow Times!

More Than 500 Syrians Stranded in Cold on Russian Border With Norway – Report

Around 1,200 asylum seekers have entered Norway through Russia this year, compared to 12 in 2014, the report said, citing the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.

More than 500 Syrian refugees have been left stranded on Russia's border with Norway in the northern Murmansk region, the FlashNord news site reported Thursday.

Guards on the Russian side of the border at the Borisoglebsk checkpoint on Thursday morning refused to let the refugees cross into Norway, leaving them stranded, the report said.

Temperatures in Nikel — the closest town to the checkpoint — hovered around freezing on Thursday, the Gismeteo weather forecaster's website showed, and some of the refugees had caught a cold, FlashNord said.

The news comes a day after FlashNord reported around 100 refugees had sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin asking for his urgent help after being turned away at the crossing point.

Though not a member of the European Union, Norway is a member of the Schengen zone, which would give Syrian refugees who enter Norway free access to other European countries. The route into Europe through Russia is also considered by many Syrian refugees to be a safer, although longer, journey than crossing the Mediterranean.

Norway's Justice Minister Anders Anundsen was cited by Reuters as saying on public broadcaster NRK earlier this month that his country would start returning Syrian refugees to Russia if they had lived there for an extended period before traveling on to Norway.

Around 1,200 asylum seekers have entered Norway through Russia this year, compared to 12 in 2014, the report said, citing the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more