The EU home affairs ministers will meet at the first informal meeting of Interior Ministers during Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 7 July. The meeting will be held as a video conference. The Ministers will discuss the development of European law enforcement cooperation and search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Finland will be represented by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.

The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) will grant EUR 12 million in EU financial support for the reception of asylum seekers from the Mediterranean region.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services. The act would lay down provisions on, for example the organisation of rescue services, and the system of management and coordination as well as development and oversight of rescue services.

As a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, UK citizens living in Finland must submit a separate application for the right of residence in Finland under the withdrawal agreement. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on Thursday, 11 June 2020.

Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will attend a video conference of the EU home affairs ministers on 5 June. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministers will discuss lifting internal border controls and restoring free movement.

Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo met with the Ministers of the Interior of the other Nordic countries on 15 May to discuss the restrictions on border traffic imposed due to the COVID-19 situation and their gradual dismantling. The meeting was held via videoconference.

The police have been developing preventive action in police departments and more resources have been allocated to this work, and some good results have been achieved. Police officers carrying out preventive work are committed to these efforts and have a clear view of what needs to be done. However, differences in the way police departments implement preventive action are apparent. This is one of the issues pointed out in a recent report on implementation, which examines the results of preventive work in 2019.

The loss limits of Veikkaus Oy's fast-paced gambling games are to be lowered. The maximum loss limit will be lowered to EUR 500 (now 2,000) per month and EUR 500 (now 1,000) per day. Amendments to the Act will enter into force on 1 May and will remain in force until 30 September 2020.

The Ministry of the Interior and the police have launched the #virtuaalivappu campaign, which encourages people to deviate from traditions and celebrate vappu on the web, in line with the restrictions on gatherings. The aim is to give people alternative ways to spend vappu together while avoiding close contacts. You can check out the online vappu events at virtuaalivappu.fi.