New conscription law increases reserve soldiers at Finland’s borders to 7,500

A new conscription law that came into effect in July now applies to reserve soldiers at Finland’s borders, totaling around 7,500 personnel. This number has increased by approximately 300 as new recruits, who began their service earlier this summer, took their oath of allegiance in August.

On Friday, just over a hundred recruits from the Ivalo Border Guard’s Jaeger Company took their military oath in Rovaniemi. Following the oath, these recruits were officially designated as border jaegers. Among them, 19-year-old Kauri Partanen from Oulu expressed awareness of the situation at the eastern border but noted that while there is some pressure, he does not feel stressed. Another new recruit, Jonne Rajala, also 19, feels that the closure of the eastern border to travelers makes things easier.

The conscription law now allows reserve soldiers to assist professional border guards in active duty during training exercises. Their roles will primarily involve support tasks such as monitoring, inspections, transport, and logistics. These tasks will not require the use of force and are not classified as dangerous under the conscription law.

The recent border closures have accelerated the process for calling reservists into training, which can now happen more quickly than the typical three-month notice period. This rapid deployment could be crucial if Finland faces hybrid threats from Russia, such as large-scale unauthorized border crossings.

Additionally, a new “deportation law” effective July 12 applies only to professional border guards, although reserve soldiers can assist under their supervision. This law and the procedures for involving reserve forces will be invoked in exceptional circumstances where maintaining border security is at risk.