Skip to content
  • Finnish Government
    • Prime Minister's Office
    • Ministry of Defence
    • Ministry of Transport and Communications
    • Ministry for Foreign Affairs
    • Ministry of Finance
    • Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
    • Ministry of Justice
    • Ministry of Education and Culture
    • Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
    • Ministry of the Interior
    • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
    • Ministry of the Environment

Valitse kieli:

This page is in Finnish. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på finska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea suomagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Язык этого сайта финский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Cette page est en finnois. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Finnisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on englanniksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

Choose language:

Den här sidan är på engelska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта английский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Dát siidu lea eŋgelasgillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Cette page est en anglais. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Englisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on ruotsiksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in Swedish. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Välj språk:

Язык этого сайта шведский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Dát siidu lea eŋgelasgillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Cette page est en suédois. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Schwedisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on pohjois-saameksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in North Saami. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på nordsamiska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта северосаамский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Vállje giela:

Cette page est en same du Nord. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Nordsamisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on venäjäksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in Russian. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på ryska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea ruoššagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

выберите язык:

Cette page est en russe. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Russisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on ranskaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in French. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på franska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Dát siidu lea fránskkagillii. Sirdás davvisámegielat siidduide »

Dahje vállje giela:

Язык этого сайта французский. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Choisir la langue:

Diese Seite ist auf Französisch. Wechseln Sie zur deutschen Version »

Oder wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

Tämä sivu on saksaksi. Siirry suomenkieliseen sivustoon »

Tai valitse kieli:

This page is in German. Go to the English site »

Or choose language:

Den här sidan är på tyska. Gå till den svenska versionen av sidan »

Eller välj språk:

Язык этого сайта немецкий. Перейти на русскоязычный сайт »

Или выберите язык:

Cette page est en allemand. Aller sur le site en français »

Ou choisir la langue:

Wählen Sie Ihre Sprache:

  • Valitse kieli Suomi
  • Välj språket Svenska
  • Select language English
Media
Go to Sisäministeriö site frontpage
  • Frontpage
  • Areas of expertise
    • Police
    • Rescue services
    • Emergency response
    • Border management
    • Migration
    • National security
    • Civilian crisis management
    • Flag and arms of Finland
  • Current issues
  • Projects and legislation
  • Publications
  • Ministry
  • Contact
  • News
  • Sign up for news
  • Ukraine
  • Situation at the eastern border
  • Work Help Finland
suomiLue artikkeli suomeksi svenskaLäs artikeln på svenska English

Potential solutions investigated to address the situation of individuals with no right of residence

Ministry of the Interior
Publication date 10.2.2022 10.30 | Published in English on 10.2.2022 at 14.39
Type:Press release 22/2022

The Ministry of the Interior has completed an investigation into a statutory amendment that would allow a residence permit and alien’s passport to be issued to applicants whose lack of a travel document is the sole impediment to granting the permit. The same project also investigated other potential solutions to address the situation of individuals who have remained in Finland for an extended period with no right of residence.

These investigations are part of a comprehensive package that seeks to prevent social exclusion and the emergence of a parallel society. The aim is to reduce the risks that living with no right of residence poses to individuals and to society. The background is the national Action Plan for the Prevention of Irregular Entry and Stay, which has been updated for the period from 2021 to 2024 in accordance with the Government Programme.

The starting point requires individuals with no right to stay in Finland to leave the country, primarily on a voluntary basis. The measures proposed in the investigation report will not modify this basic policy. A mere policy of return is nevertheless insufficient under current circumstances, as cooperation with countries of origin does not always work as intended.

“Undocumented migration is not something that will disappear of its own accord, and further solutions are also needed in addition to the policy of return. It is these solutions that we have now investigated,” explains Krista Mikkonen, Minister of the Interior.

Margin of discretion proposed for travel document requirement

The investigation concerning the issuance of an alien’s passport reflects an entry in the Government Programme promoting more flexible access to workers’ residence permits for unsuccessful asylum-seekers who have secured employment.

The ability of applicants to prove their identity with a reliable travel document is a basic condition for obtaining a residence permit. The inability of an applicant to present a valid national passport has been an impediment to issuing a permit in some cases. Obtaining such a document can be difficult, especially if the individual’s country of origin has no diplomatic or consular mission in Finland, as it is not possible to travel to another mission or to the country of origin without the required documentation.

The investigation report proposes that a residence permit and an alien’s passport could be issued to an individual who satisfies all of the conditions for issuing a residence permit in Finland, other than the travel document requirement. This would enable individuals to travel, obtain the national passport of their own country of origin, and prove their identity when subsequently applying for an extended permit in Finland.

The principle of equal treatment could also justify not assigning a special status to rejected asylum applicants by limiting the scope of the new provision to these applicants alone. Individuals in similar circumstances would thereby not be treated differently depending on the type of permit requested or on any prior application process. The ability to set aside the travel document requirement could likewise justifiably apply to all residence permit applications filed in Finland, and not only to those based on work.

Residence of a specified group could be regularised at a stroke

The report on potential solutions addressing the situation of individuals with no right of residence includes a preliminary reflection on the cases of individuals who applied for asylum in 2015–2016 and have remained in Finland for a prolonged period with no right of residence. The report examines the conditions under which their residence could justifiably be regularised, and how this would be achieved. This work draws on solutions applied in other European countries, such as Sweden, Norway, Germany and Ireland.

It is difficult to amend current provisions of the Aliens Act to address the situation of this heterogeneous target group while responding to the challenges of the future. A separate act providing a non-recurrent solution for a specified group has therefore been considered.

This target group could comprise individuals who sought asylum in Finland on or before 31 December 2016 and are still residing in Finland with no residence permit when the act enters into force. It would also be possible to restrict the target group to families with children. The procedure would be time-limited, for example enabling residence permit applications to be filed during a 6-month window of opportunity. The conditions for issuing such a permit could be that the individual has remained in Finland almost continuously after submitting an asylum application and has not committed any criminal offence.

It is estimated that fewer than 3,000 people residing in Finland originally sought asylum in 2015–2016 or earlier, and are either still in the asylum system or for whom the latest legally final refusal has been issued recently. About ten per cent of these individuals are children living in Finland with their parents.

Government to decide further measures

Individuals with no residence permit are in danger of social exclusion, either drifting into criminality or at risk of being exploited by criminals and even becoming victims of human trafficking. A clearly defined and readily applied, non-recurrent regularisation measure could benefit these individuals and society as a whole.

“In Ireland, for example, a regularisation programme is currently under way that enables a residence permit to be issued, under certain conditions, to families of children who have lived in the country for more than three years with no residence permit, and who have otherwise been undocumented for more than four years. This kind of non-recurrent regularisation would be a humane solution that recognises the vulnerable position of the undocumented. It would also be in the interests of the government and society as a whole to reduce the grey economy and the abuse of labour,” Minister Mikkonen explains.

“The Government has jointly recognised the problematic status of the undocumented, but if support for a non-recurrent regularisation proves insufficient, then relief will have to be sought in some other way. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is currently preparing a government proposal on healthcare for the undocumented. Ensuring the status of undocumented children is a matter of particular urgency,” the Minister says.

The investigations now completed were prepared at the Ministry of the Interior. Key public authorities were consulted in these preparations, together with other specialists and participants such as civic organisations. The Government will decide on any further preparatory measures.

Inquiries:

Jutta Gras, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 29 548 8650, jutta.gras@govsec.fi
Kukka Krüger, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 29 548 8270, kukka.kruger@govsec.fi
Tiina Kivinen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 566 1922, tiina.kivinen@gov.fi (requests to interview Minister Mikkonen)

Report on the travel document requirement and the issue of alien’s passports (in Finnish only)Link to an external website
Report on potential national solutions to the situation of people without a right of stay in Finland (in Finnish only)Link to an external website
Combating irregular entry and stay
Krista Mikkonen
immigration right of residence rights travel documents

MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR
Sisäministeriö | Inrikesministeriet

Kirkkokatu 12, Helsinki
PO Box 26, FI-00023 Government
Tel. 0295 480 171 (switchboard)
registry.sm@gov.fi

About the site
Accessibility statement
Data protection
Sitemap
Questions and feedback

X (Twitter)
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook
YouTube

Search page
  • Frontpage
  • Areas of expertise
    • Police
      • Government Programme measures in the police sector
      • Crime in Finland
      • Organised crime
        • Fight against organised crime
      • Counter-terrorism
        • Counter-terrorism measures in Finland
      • Violent radicalisation
        • Action plan monitoring
      • Hate crime
        • Online targeting and shaming
      • Human trafficking
      • Economic crime and the shadow economy
      • Cybercrime
        • Tackling cybercrime
      • Firearms
        • Firearms legislation
      • Gambling
      • Fundraising
      • Public order and security
      • Private security sector
      • Agencies and responsibilities
    • Rescue services
      • Government Programme measures in rescue services
      • Rescue operations
        • Maritime search and rescue
        • Emergency warnings
      • Accident prevention
        • Chimney sweeping
        • Smoke alarms and other fire safety equipment
          • Smoke alarm
          • Responsibility for smoke alarms to change in 2026
          • Carbon monoxide and heat detectors
          • First-aid extinguishing equipment
          • Fire safety systems of buildings
          • Systems connected to the ERC
          • Supervision of fire safety equipment
          • Frequently asked questions about smoke alarms
        • Emergency plan
        • Fire safety
      • Preparedness
        • National risk assessment
        • Civil defence
        • Civil defence shelters
        • Preparedness guide
      • International assistance
        • International cooperation in civil preparedness
        • Civil Protection Mechanism
      • Rescue Services Strategy
      • Rescue service agencies and responsibilities
    • Emergency response
      • Emergency response centres
      • Services
    • Border management
      • Government Programme measures to reform border security
      • Border surveillance
      • Maritime search and rescue
      • Fight against environmental damage in sea areas
      • Smart Borders
      • Frontex cooperation
      • Agencies and responsibilities
    • Migration
      • Government Programme measures to reform migration policy
        • Stricter conditions for permanent residence permits
      • Agencies and responsibilities
        • Preparing for large-scale influxes of migrants
      • Migration and asylum policy
        • Family reunification
      • Refugees and asylum seekers
        • Quota refugees
      • EU migration and asylum system
      • Voluntary and forced return
        • Readmission agreements
      • Nationality
        • Preconditions for and effects of acquiring Finnish citizenship
        • Expatriate Finns
      • Combating irregular entry and stay
    • National security
      • Government Programme measures to reform national security
      • What is national security?
        • Critical Infrastructure Protection and Crisis Resilience Act
      • Civilian intelligence
        • Questions and answers about civilian intelligence legislation
      • Hybrid threats
      • Cyber security
    • Civilian crisis management
      • Finland's objectives
      • Finnish experts serving in operations
      • Recruitment and training
      • Agencies and responsibilities
      • Legislation
    • Flag and arms of Finland
      • Flag days
        • Flagdays 2025
        • Proposals for flag days
      • Flying the flag at half mast
      • Flying the EU flag
      • Order of precedence
      • About the flag
        • History of the flag
      • Arms of Finland
      • The flag and coat of arms in commercial activities
  • Current issues
    • News
      • News archive
    • Sign up for news
    • Ukraine
      • Civilian material assistance to Ukraine
        • Laptops for Ukraine
        • Civilian assistance sent from Finland
      • Helping Ukrainians
      • Temporary protection
      • Frequently asked questions
    • Situation at the eastern border
    • Work Help Finland
      • Accessibility statement
      • Privacy policy
  • Projects and legislation
    • Reform of legislation on civilian intelligence
    • Passport project
    • Strengthening crime prevention
      • Answers to questions about biometric data regulation
    • Reform of the gambling system
      • Questions and answers on gambling system reform
    • Shooting ranges project
    • Reform of the Citizenship Act
      • Frequently asked questions
    • Interoperability of data within EU information systems for security
    • Secure satellite communication services
  • Publications
  • Ministry
    • Tasks and objectives
    • Management and organisation
      • Minister of the Interior
      • Permanent Secretary
      • Departments and units
    • Branch of government
    • Joint strategy for the Ministry's administrative branch
    • Operations and finances
    • Government Report on Internal Security
      • Government Report on Internal Security 2021
        • Abstract of the Report in easy-to-read language
    • International and EU cooperation
      • Priorities in EU and international affairs
      • Sub-committees on EU affairs
      • Finland and Nato
    • Oversight of legality
      • Oversight of legality at agencies within the Ministry’s branch of government
    • Research
      • Sentimentti data tool
      • Strategic foresight
    • Funds
    • Ministry as workplace
      • Personnel
      • Responsibility
      • Ministry’s pay system
      • Applying for a job
      • Traineeships
    • Whistleblower protection
    • History of the ministry
  • Contact
    • Submissions for consideration
      • Submission form
    • Request for information
      • Information request form
    • Contact information of the management, departments and units
    • Communications Unit
    • Data protection
      • Information on cookies
    • Accessibility statement
    • Feedback