Irregular entry and stay are prevented through cooperation between authorities
Illegal entry and stay remain low in Finland when compared with all migration to Finland. Most people move legally to Finland on the basis of work, family ties or studies.
Likewise, most people enter the EU legally for family-related reasons or for work. Only a small fraction of people enter the EU illegally.
Especially at national level, cooperation and the exchange of information between authorities play a key role in combating illegal entry and stay. It is also important for Finland to be actively involved in EU cooperation, as the results achieved are often more effective than national-level measures taken by a small Member State.
In Finland, the authorities have drawn up four-year action plans to combat illegal entry and stay. The most recent action plan covered the years 2021–2024. During the current government term, no new action plan has been drawn up, but the activities are promoted through the implementation of the Government Programme.
Irregular entry, irregular stay, irregular immigration – what are they?
Illegal entry means entering the country without complying with the conditions laid down in the law of the country of destination. In practice, it is often a question of persons not having the permits or documents required by law. In this case, their stay in the country of destination is usually illegal if they do not regularise their stay, for example by applying for asylum. In everyday Finnish, the term ‘paperittomuus’, meaning undocumented, is often used for illegal stay.
Many asylum seekers do not have a travel document, residence permit or visa when arriving in the country, so they are registered as irregular migrants. Nonetheless, everyone still has the fundamental right to apply for asylum. When an application for asylum has been lodged, the applicant is considered legally resident in the country. The authorities investigate whether that person has the right to asylum.
Illegal immigration means the abuse of legal means of entry. For example, a visa or residence permit may be applied for on grounds that do not correspond to the actual purpose of the entry. The authority may then be given false information or forged documents.
Questions and answers
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A well-functioning return system is the primary means of combating illegal stay. As set out in the Government Programme, Finland works to ensure that persons staying illegally return, or are returned, to their countries of origin as quickly as possible.
The return system has been developed during the government term by
- adopting new national legislation
- intensifying operational cooperation between authorities
- promoting cooperation with the most important countries of return so that they readmit their own citizens.
Finland actively seeks best practices through cooperation with the EU and the Nordic countries.
The number of voluntary returns has been growing. In 2024, the number of persons who returned through the assisted voluntary return system was 313, which means an increase of 66% from the corresponding period of the previous year.
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Estimating an exact number of persons staying in Finland without a right of residence is difficult. For example, the lifting of border controls at Schengen internal borders means that it is not possible to obtain fully comprehensive information on persons staying illegally in the country. In addition, the residence status of an individual may vary between legal and illegal. However, the prevalence of the phenomenon can be assessed on the basis of reports recorded by the authorities.
In 2024, a total of 3,138 cases of illegal stay were detected in Finland. This was almost the same as in the previous year when the number was highest during the statistics starting from 2018. The largest nationality groups met were from Somalia and Iraq. Police statistics include cases detected within the country and at the internal border where reports were filed on asylum examinations, violations of the Aliens Act or entry bans.
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Despite the high migratory pressure on the Union, the number of illegal border crossings detected at the EU's external borders decreased significantly in 2024 compared with the previous year. Around 239,000 illegal border crossings were detected, which is around 38% fewer than in 2023. Factors underlying this decrease include intensified measures against people smugglers.
The most active route to the EU in 2024 was the Eastern Mediterranean route, while numbers declined especially on the Central Mediterranean route from Tunisia and Libya to Italy.
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The number of illegal crossings of Finnish borders has traditionally been low, as Finland is not on the main migration routes to Europe. So far, the increasing migratory pressure at Europe's external borders has not been reflected in Finland.
In 2024, illegal entry into Finland through internal borders remained very moderate and the numbers decreased from the previous year. The situation at the external borders also remained calm. The border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia have been closed since 15 December 2023 due to the exceptional situation at the eastern border.
Lydia Laine, Senior Specialist
Ministry of the Interior, Migration Department, Return Unit Telephone:0295488209 Email Address: [email protected]