Government Programme measures to reform migration policy
The Government Programme’s objective is to reform Finland’s migration policy so that it offers assistance to the most vulnerable people and prevents abuse of the system.
Finland’s asylum policy will be tightened to match that of the other Nordic countries. The asylum system will be developed and processes streamlined so that applicants receive a decision on their international protection status or its denial as quickly as possible. As part of the streamlining of processes, measures will be taken to ensure that rejected asylum applicants return or are returned as soon as possible. The effectiveness of return counselling will also be improved. The goal is to encourage voluntary return of rejected applicants to their home countries.
The focus of the asylum policy is on particularly vulnerable groups such as children and persons with a disability. Special attention is also paid to these groups in the refugee quota.
The conditions for naturalisation will be tightened. The objective is to encourage integration, work and compliance with the rules of Finnish society.
The operating environment and security situation in Finland and elsewhere in Europe have changed considerably in the past few years. Most other EU Member States have introduced stricter grounds for refusing or ending international protection status.
The aim is to grant international protection only for as long as there is a need for protection. A person who commits offences may be refused protection or their status may be withdrawn more effectively than before.
No, it will have no effect on the permits already granted. The amendment applies to residence permits issued in future.
In the border procedure, an application is examined in accordance with the same rules as in the asylum procedure. The examination should just be carried out more quickly, i.e. within four weeks. Applicants must stay close to the border during the examination of the application and they do not have the right to move freely on Finnish territory.
In future, people applying for citizenship must reside in Finland for eight years instead of the previous five years before acquiring Finnish citizenship. The amendment was approved on 5 July 2024 and entered into force on 1 October 2024.
Amendments have also been made to the establishment of identity, the integrity requirement and the requirement for sufficient financial resources. Applicants for Finnish citizenship must have sufficient financial resources. The premise is that people whose only income is unemployment benefit or social assistance will no longer be eligible for Finnish citizenship. These amendments were approved on 24 October 2025 and entered into force on 17 December 2025.
Losing citizenship may become more common in cases where a person has provided false information when applying for citizenship or has committed offences that violate Finland's vital interests. These amendments also entered into force on 17 December 2025.
The Ministry is also preparing to introduce a citizenship test.
Previously, Finland has not required applicants to pass a citizenship test. In other words, the Ministry of the Interior is preparing a completely new prerequisite for acquiring Finnish citizenship. In other countries, citizenship tests include questions on the general rules of society, as well as the country’s history and political system.
According to the Government Programme, the aim is to examine the possibilities of introducing the principle of reciprocity in Finland.
A study on the dual citizenship system is under preparation. It is not yet possible to say what amendments might be proposed based on the study. The Ministry will provide more information on the completion of the study as it becomes available.
During this government term, voluntary and forced returns have been made more effective through a number of legislative and operational measures.
The period of detention has been extended, the possibilities for detention on grounds of public order and security have been increased, and the regulation on entry bans has been revised. Amendments now allow the withdrawal of a permanent residence permit from an alien staying outside Finland and the imposition of an entry ban on the person if they pose a danger to public order or security or to national security. Faster enforcement of deportation decisions in matters of international protection has also been enabled. The legislative package on removal from the country will be overhauled in a legislative project set up at the end of 2024. Improving the effectiveness of voluntary and forced returns is a common objective of the European Union and new legislation on returns is being prepared at the Union level.
Assistance for voluntary return has been staggered to encourage people to leave the country as quickly as possible and to refrain from requesting a review of their asylum decision. Return counselling and cooperation between authorities on return issues have been improved, and statistics and authorities' shared situational awareness have been developed. The Finnish Immigration Service is piloting a reception centre that specialises in promoting returns. Cooperation with third countries to promote returns will be deepened in collaboration with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Schedule and objectives for migration policy measures
The table presents the Government's key migration policy projects and information on their schedule and objectives.
| Measure | Schedule | Objectives |
|---|---|---|
| Introducing a border procedure and extending the grounds for the accelerated procedure | The amendments were approved on 28 June 2024. The Act entered into force on 1 September 2024. | A border procedure will be introduced in accordance with the Asylum Procedures Directive. All the grounds for the accelerated procedure that are not yet part of the Aliens Act will be included in the Act. |
| Tightening the period of validity of international protection permits under the Qualification Directive | The amendments were approved on 22 November 2024. The Act entered into force on 2 January 2025. | The period of validity of residence permits granted on the basis of international protection status will be reduced to the minimum specified in the Qualification Directive. Grounds for not granting or for ending international protection status will be adopted. |
| Reforming the provisions of the Aliens Act on the registration and lodging of applications for international protection and on asylum examinations | The amendments were approved on 23 May 2025. The Act entered into force on 1 June 2025. | The provisions of the Aliens Act on the registration and lodging of applications for international protection and on asylum examinations will be reformed. The practice of going over the asylum interview record with the asylum seeker will be abolished, and the preparedness and readiness concerning migration incidents will be assessed. |
| Development of residence permit procedures in immigration legislation | The amendments were approved on 5 July 2024 and they entered into force on 1 September 2024. | The regulation of the evasion of provisions on entry will be reformed, and the provisions on the verification of identity will be clarified. Rejected asylum applicants will be prevented from switching to work-based and education-based immigration procedures. |
| Family reunification | The amendments were approved on 13 June 2025 and they entered into force on 16 June 2025. | The conditions for family reunification will be tightened by introducing changes provided for in the Family Reunification Directive. |
| Detention and entry ban | The amendments were approved on 4 April 2025 and they entered into force on 6 May 2025. | The provisions on detention will be tightened, the provisions on entry bans will be reformed, and provisions will be issued enabling the imposition of an entry ban on a person residing outside Finland. |
| Reduction of the reception allowance | The amendment was approved on 5 July 2024 and it entered into force on 1 August 2024. The temporary act on the matter will be extended until 11 June 2026. |
The amount of the reception allowance will be reduced to the minimum amount permitted by the Constitution and the Reception Conditions Directive. |
| Reform of the Reception Act | The project has been suspended and further preparation has been combined with project SM032:00/2024 Legislative project on the national implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Agreement | Reception services will be made more effective. Reception services will be limited during the processing of subsequent applications, and the system of representatives for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers will be reformed. |
| Stricter conditions for permanent residence permits | Government proposal to Parliament was submitted on 5 June 2025. The amendment to the Aliens Act entered into force on 8 January 2026. | The period of residence required for a permanent residence permit will be extended to six years, and a language skills requirement will be introduced. In addition, a stricter integrity requirement will be adopted. |
| Nationality Act 1 | The amendment was approved on 5 July 2024 and it entered into force on 1 October 2024. | The period of residence required for citizenship will be extended to eight years. |
| Nationality Act 2 | The amendments were approved on 24 October 2025, and they entered into force on 17 December 2025. | Among other things, a stricter integrity requirement will be adopted, the actual requirements for sufficient financial resources will be reintroduced, and the possibility of adopting the Danish approach to revoking citizenship will be examined. |
| Nationality Act 3 | Comments 19 December 2025 - 6 February 2025. Government proposal to Parliament in spring 2026. | A citizenship test will be introduced. The possibility of introducing the principle of reciprocity in respect of the dual citizenship system will be explored |
| Development of provisions on removal from the country | Comments 19 December 2025 - 2 February 2026. Government proposal to Parliament in spring 2026. | Procedures for removing people from the country will be made more effective. The project will also assess whether the regulation on deportation and denial of admittance or stay can be harmonised or combined into a single procedure for removal from the country. |