EU EASTERN BORDERS: Baltic countries and Poland call on EU to increase focus on eastern border ― Estonian NGO helps to relaunch mental health support helpline for Ukrainians ― Finland’s border law set for 18-month extension ― NGO criticises Poland’s tr…

• The Baltic countries and Poland have called on the EU institutions to increase their focus on the bloc’s eastern border.
• An NGO in Estonia has relaunched a helpline to provide mental health support for Ukrainians living in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe.
• Finland’s controversial border law is set to be extended until December 2026.
• A new NGO report has highlighted major shortcomings in the treatment of unaccompanied minors on the Poland-Belarus border.

The Baltic countries and Poland have called on the EU institutions to increase their focus on the bloc’s eastern border. In a letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa on 20 June, the president of Lithuania and the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Poland called for a “coordinated and determined response” to Russia’s war against Ukraine and the “deepening security crisis” in Europe. They also urged the EU to provide financial and political support to two strategic initiatives: the ‘Baltic Defence Line’ and the ‘Eastern Shield’. According to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, “Russia is testing Europe’s resilience – particularly along the eastern borders of EU member states – through acts of sabotage, destabilisation and the instrumentalisation of migrants”.

An NGO in Estonia has relaunched a helpline to provide mental health support for Ukrainians living in Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe. According to a press release issued on 28 May, ECRE member organisation the Estonian Refugee Council in co-operation with the Ukrainian National Psychological Association and with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), is providing psychosocial support to people who may have been traumatised due to the ongoing war in their home country. “Ukrainians have lived in constant uncertainty for over three years now. This impacts not only physical wellbeing but also mental health,” said Estonian Refugee Council director, Eero Janson, adding: “Alongside material humanitarian aid, it is vital to ensure access to reliable and culturally appropriate psychosocial support”. “Mental health care helps people recover from crises more quickly and begin rebuilding their lives,” he concluded. The helpline is now available in 21 countries.

Finland’s controversial border law is set to be extended until December 2026. According to the Finnish Ministry of the Interior, the extension of the ‘Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration’ (commonly referred to as the ‘Border Security Act’) is scheduled for approval by President Alexander Stubb on 27 June and should enter into force on 1 July. It was approved by the Finnish parliament on 4 June. Writing on Facebook in advance of the vote, the Finnish Refugee Council described the law as “fundamentally against EU legislation, the Finnish constitution and key human rights obligations”. In the same post, the organisation also warned that the law was damaging the foundations of the judiciary “in an irrevocable manner”, increasing human suffering and putting people seeking asylum at risk. Its words were echoed by Minja Koskela MP from the opposition Left Alliance: “Finland should be a state governed by the rule of law and respond to the actions of its neighbour in a corresponding manner, not by abandoning its own constitution and international obligations, in other words, by acting like Russia,” she said.

A new NGO report has highlighted major shortcomings in the treatment of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) on the Poland-Belarus border. According to the report, which was published by Save the Children Poland on 16 June, Polish authorities are failing this particular group of people on the move. The organisation has identified a number of shortcomings, including a lack of consistent data on UAMs, border violence and issues with age assessments. Commenting on the report’s findings, Save the Children Poland’s acting response director, Celina Kretkowska–Adamowicz, told reporters that children who arrive at the border “meet suspicion, pushbacks and a total absence of procedures”. “There is no institution that looks after them from start to finish,” she added.

Finland and Poland have both been criticised for violating children’s rights in a separate Save the Children report. The report, which examines the situation of children on the move at the EU’s external borders in Greece, Italy, Finland, Spain and Poland, draws on interviews with 33 children who described harrowing journeys to reach Europe. Commenting on the report, Save the Children’s EU representative, Willy Bergogné, said: “What is unfolding at the EU’s borders today is a clear violation of children’s rights, and it needs to stop. Governments must take responsibility for the protection of all children, regardless of whether they are from that country or are seeking safety there”. “No child should be forced to bear the consequences of policies putting deterrence ahead of protection,” he added.

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