Minister of the Interior Mikkonen and German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser to meet in Helsinki
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Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will meet with German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser in Helsinki on 10.8. The Ministers will discuss, among other things, the war in Ukraine and its impact on internal security. Items on the agenda include cyber and hybrid threats caused by the war and the situation of Ukrainian refugees.
The security situation in Finland is currently stable, but the authorities are constantly monitoring the situation, and extensive preparations have been made for possible incidents.
“At the moment, hybrid influence activities and illegal intelligence gathering are the biggest threats to Finland’s national security. To maintain shared situation awareness, it is important that the EU countries stay in close contact and share their national observations. There is a great deal of cooperation between the Finnish and German authorities in countering cyber threats, for example,” says Minister Mikkonen.
So far, approximately 36,000 Ukrainians have applied for temporary protection in Finland. The number of applicants is likely to increase as winter approaches. According to current estimates, about 48,000 Ukrainians is expected to apply for temporary protection in Finland this year. By the beginning of August, approximately 941,000 Ukrainians had applied for temporary protection in Germany and approximately 4 million in total in the entire EU area.
“There has been a strong desire throughout Europe to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. We must continue this important work together. We must give those fleeing the war the opportunity to live a safe life,” says Mikkonen.
The EU’s migration and asylum reform proceeded during the French Presidency, and in June, the Member States reached an agreement on two proposals for Regulations included in the reform package. Finland has supported the efforts to reach an agreement on the asylum reform. In fact, the Ministers noted the need to advance the processing of the reform in the Council under the leadership of the new Presidency, as well as together with the European Parliament.
Inquiries:
Mikko Jalo, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 304 8522, [email protected] (requests for interviews with the Minister)
Eero Kytömaa, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 280, [email protected] (national security, hybrid and cyber threats)
Iikka Saunamäki, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 267, [email protected] (migration)