It is claimed that Russia is trying to destabilize Europe and influence its elections by moving migrants to the continent using private armies.
Vladimir Putin has reportedly attempted to create a 15,000-man border police force made up of former Libyan militias to “weaponize” the flow of migrants from Africa.
The Kremlin has already been accused of trying to create a refugee crisis by sending asylum seekers to its border with Finland, forcing the new NATO member to close its doors to migrants in a bid to stem the tide.
There are fears the country could renew its efforts this spring, with EU border police saying Russia is using migration “as leverage in a broader game of influence and pressure.”
There are warnings that Putin is trying to influence the politics of Western countries, using some African countries as transit points for migrants.
A group of asylum seekers arrives at the Salla border, northern Finland, in November 2023, amid a migration crisis driven by Russia
Migrants from Syria and Bangladesh are rescued on a boat off the coast of Libya in January this year.
Russia, using private mercenaries including the notorious Wagner group, is believed to fuel violence in places such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Sudan, the Central African Republic and Libya to expel migrants to Europe.
Many of them would attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea by boat to southern Europe, before being helped by human traffickers to other countries.
Documents have even been found showing plans by Russian agents to create a “border force” in Libya to control the flow of migrants. The Telegraph reports.
The plans failed because payments made through the ‘Russian-Libyan cultural institute’ in Moscow never materialized, although it is believed to be a sign of what could happen.
Russia already has thousands of mercenaries fighting in the ongoing Libyan civil war and there are claims they are heavily involved with smuggling gangs.
A security source told the publication: “If you can control migrant routes to Europe, then you can effectively control elections, because you can restrict or flood a certain area with migrants to influence public opinion at a moment’s notice. crucial”.
There are concerns that migrants who crossed into Europe during the winter at Putin’s behest may try to cross the English Channel in the summer, when conditions are more favorable.
Frontex, the EU’s border police agency, said there were 380,000 irregular border crossings in 2023, the highest number since 2016. Of those, more than 62,000 attempted to enter Britain, it added.
Vladimir Putin has been accused of fueling the migrant crisis to influence politics in Europe. Pictured: Putin delivering his annual State of the Nation address in Moscow on Thursday.
Migrants gather in a tent to get hot drinks near the Finnish border at the Salla checkpoint in November last year.
He had previously warned that “the likelihood of Russia and Belarus instrumentalizing migrants has increased.”
Last year, Finland was forced to close its doors to asylum seekers at four crossings after arguing that Putin was deliberately sending them across the border in retaliation for their entry into NATO.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said it was “clear that these people are receiving help and are also being escorted or transported to the border by border guards”, although Russia dismissed the claims.
Many of the migrants who arrived at the Finnish border did so without proper documents or identification, and many came from Africa and the Middle East.
A senior academic said Russia’s involvement in Africa could spark new waves of migration.
Dr Sergey Sukhankin, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation and an adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington, told the Telegraph: “The various waves of illegal immigrants from Africa could increase, because Russia is planning to create a new military facility in the central region “. African Republic.’
The Central African Republic is a key part of some of the most used migration routes, passing through asylum seekers from places like the Democratic Republic of the Congo on their way north to Sudan and Libya.
A Frontex spokesperson told the Telegraph: ‘These developments illustrate broader strategies that appear to be employed by state actors such as Russia and Belarus, aimed at testing the resilience of borders shared with EU and Schengen countries.
‘This is not only a question of border security but also of geopolitical tension, where migration is used as a lever in a broader game of influence and pressure. It is disturbing to see the desperation of those seeking to come to the EU being ruthlessly used as pawns in a geopolitical game.
‘While these incidents in Finland are currently on a relatively contained scale, they signal a potential risk that could intensify, particularly with the arrival of spring, a period traditionally associated with increased migratory movements.
“The situation could get even worse if the authorities concerned actively facilitate crossings.”