Finland’s Interior Ministry says it will propose reinstating border controls for travelers from Schengen pact countries several days before and after the planned summit of Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. leader Donald Trump.
Kimmo Elomaa, a senior official at the Interior Ministry, said on July 9 that the move would be made to "increase security" and that the plan would be to block access to people who might disrupt order and security during the summit.
"It will involve activities such as reviewing passenger lists and creating different profiles," he said.
Trump and Putin are scheduled to meet in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, on July 16.
Trump is scheduled to arrive on July 15, while Putin is expected on July 16.
Officials indicated that the renewed border checks could begin on July 13 and run through July 17.
The cabinet will make an official decision later this week, officials said.
Several protests have already been planned for the time during the summit.
The largest one appears to be a demonstration billed as promoting the environment, peace, human rights, and democracy, scheduled for July 15.
The 26 European countries that are part of the Schengen agreement allow free movement across each other's borders without identity checks.
In 2008, Finland reinstated border controls for a meeting of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
