Ministry of the Interior publishes report on the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service
The Ministry of the Interior has published a report on the operation of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service concerning Matti Saarelainen, who previously held high-level positions both at the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the Immigration Office. The Ministry has also drawn up a memorandum on the Immigration Office’s citizenship decisions concerning the Timchenko family.
The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the Finnish Immigration Service (previously the Immigration Office). The Ministry of the Interior’s National Security Unit has prepared an inspection report on the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service's operation, which the Ministry communicated to the Service on 25 April. The report draws the Service’s attention to matters such as the Service’s duty to inform the Ministry of the Interior, and to certain administrative procedures.
Due to the significance of the findings of the inspection and the observations made based on them, the Ministry of the Interior will later review the Service’s internal supervision procedures and implementation of the Ministry’s Regulation on Risk Management Policy concerning the Ministry’s branch of government.
Decisions on citizenship were found not to violate regulations in force at the time
The Immigration Office’s decisions to grant the Finnish citizenship to Gennady Timchenko and his family members have sparked a public debate. The Office had made the decisions in 1999 and 2000. The Ministry’s Migration Department examined the Immigration Office’s procedure for making citizenship decisions.
The Ministry of the Interior concluded that the Immigration Office had not violated the citizenship regulations in force at the time. The Ministry also pointed out that it cannot comment on how the Immigration Office had exercised its discretion when making individual decisions after the fact. The Ministry considered that no such circumstances had emerged that would warrant further measures.
Inquiries:
Johanna Hakala, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 452, [email protected] (Inspection Report on the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service)
Roope Jokinen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 362, [email protected] (Memorandum on Citizenship Decisions)