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Projects and legislation Some of the projects, working groups and programmes currently underway in the Ministry of the Interior are outlined in these pages. The Government Project Register Hankeikkuna also contains information about current minist...

The aim of the legislative project is to enhance national security and the resilience of society.

21.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to prepare amendments to the Lotteries Act and the Gambling Act concerning the claiming of winnings, with the aim of making it possible to give scratch cards as gifts. The project will run until 31 December 2026.

9.7.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to prepare the legislative amendments required for the national implementation of the EU Return Regulation.

30.3.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to improve the efficiency of asylum procedures, bringing together key administrative branches and actors.

15.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare amendments to the Act on Emergency Warnings to introduce a cell broadcast public warning system in Finland.

10.7.2026 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior requests views on a draft government proposal to extend the validity of the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration, known as the Border Security Act. The purpose of the act is to prevent the use of instrumentalised migration to put pressure on Finland. 

30.7.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior is requesting views on a draft government proposal that would supplement the legislative proposal on the Finnish Border Guard’s criminal intelligence activities. Responses may be submitted until 10 September 2026.

10.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments four draft decrees to be issued under the Gambling Act. A draft government decree covers the operation of gambling by the holder of an exclusive licence. The draft decrees of the Ministry of the Interior concern the rules of play for gambling operated by the exclusive licence holder, the operation of gambling by gambling licence holders in the competitive market, and the start of the period for claiming winnings.

8.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal for legislation on combating organised crime. The proposed act would lay down provisions on a new centre for the analysis of organised crime and on the centre’s tasks and powers. The deadline for submitting comments is 3 August 2026.

29.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare the necessary amendments to the provision of the Aliens Act on sufficient financial resources for family reunification. In future, a government decree would lay down provisions on the euro amounts required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources. This requirement would apply to family members of people who live in Finland with a residence permit.

28.5.2026 | The Government proposes extending the validity of Finnish passports and identity cards to 10 years. On 28 May, the Government submitted to Parliament a draft proposal for amending the Passport Act and the Identity Card Act. The Ministry of the Interior estimates that the acts could enter into force by early 2028 at the latest.

16.4.2026 | The Government has submitted to Parliament a proposal for an act on the automated search and exchange of information for European police cooperation. The proposal would introduce amendments to national legislation required by the EU regulation known as Prüm II.

9.6.2026 | The EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum will improve the control of the EU’s external borders and increase the efficiency of asylum and return procedures. The Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the relevant bills for acts on Tuesday 9 June. The acts will enter into force on 12 June.

8.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has today sent out for comments a draft government proposal to supplement an earlier legislative proposal on criminal intelligence. The aim of the proposal is to ensure that the Police Act provides sufficient support for combating crime and that threat‑informed criminal intelligence can be used effectively to intervene in criminal activity such as serious gang crime and organised crime. The deadline for submitting comments is 3 August 2026.

19.2.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has today sent out for comments a draft government proposal for legislation on police criminal intelligence. The reform would enable the use of criminal intelligence methods in the fight against serious crime on a threat-informed basis. The deadline for submitting comments is 16 April 2026.

13.2.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to develop a new feature for the Emergency Response Centre Agency’s 112 Suomi app to warn of airborne threats. The project will be carried out with EU funding, and other EU Member States can also benefit from the results of Finland’s development work.

23.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has submitted a draft amendment to the Passport Act and the Identity Card Act for comments. These amendments would extend passport and personal identity card validity to 10 years. The consultation process will last until 16 February 2026.

16.4.2026 | The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum establishes a common EU system to strengthen external border control, ensure effective identification of third-country nationals and enhance procedures for asylum and return. The Pact will be implemented in Finland through a series of national legislative amendments. The Government submitted a proposal on these amendments to Parliament on 16 April.

14.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to update civilian intelligence legislation in response to the changed security environment.  The proposal would introduce new powers, including measures to prepare for state-sponsored threats, and clarifying amendments arising from practical needs identified in intelligence activities. Changes are also proposed to the non-disclosure periods for documents. The deadline for submitting comments is in late May.

26.6.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to specify the powers of the police to intercept the path of unmanned aircraft, i.e. drones, and other unmanned devices. The aim of the project is to ensure the ability of the police to detect and identify drones and other unmanned devices, and to specify the regulation on the use of force to intercept the path of such devices.

15.1.2026 | Veikkaus Oy’s monopoly on running gambling games will end. Under the new Gambling Act, the running of betting games, online slot and casino games, and online money bingo will be opened to competition under a licensing system. In its session on 15 January, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the Gambling Act on 16 January. Most provisions of the new act will enter into force on 1 July 2027. 

4.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a government proposal for an act on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation and for amending the Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Police. The proposal introduces amendments to national legislation required by the EU Regulation on the automated search and exchange of data for police cooperation (the Prüm II Regulation). The deadline for submitting comments is Monday 19 January 2026.

10.11.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior is requesting comments on a draft government proposal for the establishment and deployment of a police reserve. The aim is to ensure that the police have sufficient resources in all circumstances. The draft proposal also includes an amendment concerning the qualification requirements for the Master of Police Services degree. The deadline for submitting comments is 22 December 2025.

22.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has circulated for comment the draft government proposal on the national legislative amendments that relate to the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. The deadline for comments is 2 February 2026.

5.8.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to update Finland's national risk assessment. The updated assessment is scheduled for publication in autumn 2026.

4.12.2025 | Today, the Government submitted a proposal to Parliament to remove obstacles to information sharing between the police and other authorities in combating crime. The proposal includes amendments to provisions on access to information and disclosure of information. These changes aim to enable better exchange of information for preventing, detecting and investigating offences, for example.

19.8.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to review the provisions concerning powers related to undercover activities conducted in an information network by the police, who are the general authorities responsible for crime prevention. The project will run from 22 August to 28 November 2025.

11.12.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to enhance the Finnish Border Guard’s powers related to preparedness to meet the demands of the changed security and operating environment. The project will assess and prepare the necessary amendments to legislation for normal conditions.

12.6.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft guide intended to support the planning of the activation and use of civil defence shelters and to harmonise the preparation of related plans. The deadline for submitting comments is 11.8. 2025.

4.7.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal aiming to streamline the exchange of information between the police and other authorities. This proposal implements the objective outlined in the Government Programme to step up the combating of crime and remove obstacles to the related exchange of information. The deadline for submitting comments is August 17, 2025.

12.6.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to amend the Passport Act, assess the need to amend the Identity Card Act and, if necessary, prepare a proposal for amending the Identity Card Act. The project will run until 31 May 2026.

16.8.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Finance have launched an extensive project to examine the need for the development of regional preparedness and situation awareness activities. The aim is to introduce as uniform an operating model and practices as possible for managing emergency conditions and various incidents under normal conditions across Finland.

14.8.2025 | Public authorities in Finland will have to use the Bank and Payment Account Monitoring System each time they request information on account balances, transactions and securities. The Government submitted the legislative amendments for approval on 14 August. The President of the Republic is expected to approve the amendments on 15 August, and they will enter into force on 1 December 2025.

27.3.2025 | Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to strengthen the administrative approach to combating organised crime and the related exchange of information as outlined in the Government Programme.

28.6.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare legislative amendments on the use of air carriers’ passenger name record (PNR) data in the prevention of terrorist offences and serious crime.

20.3.2025 | Today, the Government submitted to Parliament a legislative proposal on a new gambling system. The Government proposes to end Veikkaus' gambling games monopoly in betting and in online slot machine and casino games at the end of 2026, and to open the provision of these games to competition.

16.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal on temporary protection. As the crisis in Ukraine drags on, there is a need to reform the legislation on temporary protection. The project will prepare the necessary amendments to the Aliens Act concerning people who have fled the war in Ukraine but also other possible situations of temporary protection in the future. 

3.6.2024 | The Government Programme aims to safeguard the activities of Finland’s existing shooting ranges and promote the establishment of new shooting ranges. The Finnish Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to examine ways to safeguard the activities of shooting ranges and to prepare the necessary legislative amendments.

10.4.2025 | On 10 April 2025, the Government submitted a proposal to Parliament on amending the Act on Bank and Payment Account Monitoring System.

19.2.2025 | A working group of the Ministry of the Interior explored the possibility of introducing a citizenship test as a requirement for acquiring Finnish citizenship. According to the Government Programme, the Citizenship Act will be reformed by tightening the requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship.

7.2.2024 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to implement the entries in the Government Programme concerning tighter conditions for family reunification. The aim is to introduce additional conditions for family reunification, as permitted by the EU Family Reunification Directive. 

5.12.2024 | The Government proposes amendments to the legislation on temporary protection. The aim is to streamline the granting of temporary protection from the perspective of both the beneficiaries and the authorities. The amendments concern people who have fled the war in Ukraine but also other possible situations of temporary protection in the future. The Government submitted the proposal for the amendments to the Aliens Act to Parliament on 5 December.

27.3.2025 | The requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship will be tightened in accordance with the Government Programme. Amendments are proposed to the provisions on the establishment of identity, the integrity requirement and the requirement for sufficient financial resources. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on 27 March.

24.10.2023 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project on the reform of the gambling system. The project will prepare for the introduction of a licence system for gambling in accordance with the Government Programme.

27.8.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project for the second phase of the Rescue Act reform. The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2025.

1.8.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to amend the Firearms Act and the Firearms Decree. Provisions concerning loading devices, silencers and the storage of cartridges, among other things, will be clarified. A comprehensive review of the provisions governing deactivated weapons will also be carried out.

26.11.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to reform the procedure for examining asylum applications. At the same time, the enforcement of decisions on deportation would be streamlined and restrictions would be placed on the ability of beneficiaries of international protection to visit the countries from which they have fled.

9.1.2025 | The Finnish Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to extend the validity of the Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration (‘Border Security Act’). The purpose of the act is to respond to efforts to put pressure on Finland through the instrumentalisation of migrants.

3.9.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to amend the legislation on temporary protection in order to extend temporary protection for Ukrainian nationals and their family members even after 4 March 2025. The project will prepare the necessary amendments to the Aliens Act.   

15.7.2024 | Cooperation between the law enforcement authorities of the EU Member States and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) will be improved by developing automated search and exchange of data. The Ministry of the Interior set up a legislative project on 15 July 2024 to prepare the amendments to the national legislation that may be required by the EU Regulation.

31.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to develop the regulation on removal from the country.

26.9.2024 | On 26 September, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for an act that aims to improve the exchange of information between EU Member States for the purpose of combating crime.

4.7.2024 | The period of residence required for Finnish citizenship will be extended from the current five years to eight years starting from 1 October. This underlines successful integration as a prerequisite for being granted citizenship. It will also enable addressing security concerns more effectively than before. In addition, only time lived in Finland under a residence permit will be taken into account when calculating the period of residence.

12.9.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal on tightening the conditions for family reunification. The conditions would be made more stringent in cases where a third-country national applies for a residence permit based on family ties. The legislative project aims to introduce the additional conditions for family reunification enabled by the EU Family Reunification Directive, and to draft the required amendments to the Aliens Act.

15.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare the necessary legislative amendments to implement the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in Finland.

18.4.2024 | The Government intends to make international protection temporary in nature. The length of international protection permits will be shortened to the minimum allowed by EU law. In addition, any particularly serious offence committed in Finland or endangerment of national security would prevent a person from being granted international protection. The Government submitted its legislative proposal to Parliament on 18 April.

10.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior is requesting comments on a draft proposal for amending the Act on the Bank and Payment Account Monitoring System. The consultation round ends on 21 November 2024.

3.7.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior is requesting comments on the draft government proposal for a new gambling act. The reform of the gambling system is based on the Government Programme. Under the proposal, Veikkaus Oy would no longer hold the monopoly to arrange betting and online slot machine games and casino games. These games would be opened up to competition by means of licensing as laid out in the Government Programme.

8.9.2023 | Recent news has shown that countries in Europe also need to be increasingly prepared for serious, protracted and large-scale crises. Even in the EU, Member States have the primary responsibility for preventing, preparing for and responding to natural and man-made disasters.