Home affairs ministers to discuss migration and border management
The EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on 4 March for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. The ministers will discuss issues related to border management, migration and the situation in Ukraine. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.
Finland emphasises the significance of strong external borders and developing the Schengen acquis to manage migration. When developing the Union's migration policy, attention should be paid to Finland’s position as an external border country and as a Member State that is both a target country and a potential transit route.
“Finland’s eastern border is an external border of both the EU and NATO. Finland and the EU will not yield to pressure, and the external border of the Schengen area must not become a pathway for instrumentalised migration into Europe,” says Minister Rantanen.
Finland will take constructive action to introduce an EU-level mechanism that would, in the event of mass irregular or instrumentalised migration, make it possible to temporarily suspend the reception of asylum applications.
“We need to distinguish between genuine claims for asylum, migration, and instrumentalised migration. All three require different approaches and solutions,” the Minister says.
Supporting Ukraine more important than ever
The Ministers will also discuss the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on the EU’s internal security. The war has entered its third year with no end in sight.
“Supporting Ukraine in all areas is now more important than ever. Ukrainian internal security authorities are facing extreme challenges during the war, and Russia has launched attacks on rescue workers, among others. In addition to military assistance, Finland has supported Ukraine in many ways, for example by donating rescue service vehicles and equipment,” Rantanen says.
The Ministry of the Interior is coordinating the provision of material emergency relief to Ukraine through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. The range of assistance provided is wide and virtually covers everything except defence materiel assistance.
Inquiries:
Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General, tel. +358 40 720 22 16, [email protected]
Communications Unit, Ministry of the Interior, [email protected] (requests for interviews with the Minister)