Rajavartio

Rajavartio is the Finnish term for border guard or border patrol. It refers to personnel and units that guard and monitor a state's borders, prevent illegal entry and smuggling, and conduct border-related security and enforcement activities. The concept is used in Finnish-language discussions of national security and immigration control and can also refer more broadly to border guard services in other countries when translated into Finnish.

In Finland, the border guard is a government agency under the Ministry of the Interior. Its responsibilities include border surveillance and control on land and at sea, border checks at points of entry, asylum processing and immigration enforcement, search and rescue in coastal and border regions, and cooperation with police, customs, and coast guard. It employs a range of tools, including patrols on foot and in vehicles, ships and aircraft, and surveillance technology.

The term can also appear in historical or comparative discussions about border protection and is used in various Nordic and European contexts to describe analogous agencies. Modern challenges for rajavartio-linked services include irregular migration, cross-border criminal activity, and the need for international cooperation and humanitarian considerations in border management.