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Civilian intelligence protects Finland’s national security

19.10.2021 | Finland and Sweden have signed an agreement on police cooperation in the border area in Tornionlaakso. Its purpose is to step up police cooperation between the two countries. Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo and Swedish Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg signed the agreement in Tornio on Tuesday 19 October.

27.10.2022 | In its fourth supplementary budget for 2022, the Government has proposed a total of EUR 9.0 million in additional funding for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior and EUR 6.0 million in funding outside of the budgeted spending limits for a pilot section of a fence on the eastern border.

22.4.2021 | The new Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Police entered into force on 1 June 2019. The Ministry of the Interior has sent a request for opinions to the police and police stakeholders on the effectiveness of the Act and its implementation. The Government must submit a report on the implementation of the Act to the Administration Committee of Parliament by the end of this year.

15.3.2018 | Finland intends to update its reserve police system. The purpose of the new system would be to ensure public security in situations where police must focus their resources on dealing with unexpected and unforeseen situations.

27.5.2021 | A Government supplementary budget proposal would provide additional funding of EUR 3 million to the police for preventative work. The main target group for preventative action will be children and young adults.

28.4.2026 | The upcoming supplementary budget will significantly improve the counter-drone capabilities of the Border Guard and the police. The Government agreed on this in its spending limits session last week. Discussions will continue in the supplementary budget session at the end of May.

20.12.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has today set up a legislative project to prepare a government proposal for adopting and bringing into force the agreement on police cooperation in the border area between Finland and Sweden.

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.

16.12.2021 | Police licence and permit fees are due to change in 2022. The price of a passport will fall, while most prices of other licences and permits will rise. The prices of identity cards will remain unchanged. The changes reflect the cost-correlation of licences and permits. The fees charged for licences and permits must correspond by law to the costs incurred in issuing these documents.

9.4.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior sent out for comments a draft act on the treatment of persons in police custody and certain related acts. The purpose of this legislative reform is to update the provisions on custody-related rights, obligations and restrictions on fundamental rights of those deprived of their liberty, the powers of personnel performing guard duties and the obligations of the authorities.

Interoperability

Helping Ukrainians People in Finland want to help Ukrainians in their time of need, and many have been asking the Finnish authorities how they can help Ukrainians. People are also asking how they can help Ukraine’s neighbouring countries who are u...

8.10.2020 | At the request of the Ministry of the Interior, the National Police Board asked the Helsinki Police Department for a report concerning police actions during the demonstration on 3 October. The National Police Board has now submitted the report and its own statement to the Ministry of the Interior.

1.9.2026 | On 1 September 2026, the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2027 and is steadily implementing the agenda it agreed at the spending limits session. The agenda includes EUR 100 million of investment in construction and numerous transport infrastructure projects. The Government’s targeted measures will support economic growth.

8.5.2020 | 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 ...

2.12.2019 | An action plan on police traffic enforcement and traffic safety will be drawn up. The aim is to improve people's sense of security and the safety of people, the environment and property. The action plan will guide and direct the activities of the police, and it will take into account the changes that have occurred in traffic and traffic safety and the impacts of these changes.

28.10.2019 | Commissioned by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo, the National Police Board requested the police to give an account of its actions during a demonstration in Narinkkatori in Helsinki on 19 October. The National Police Board has now delivered the report and its own statement to the Minister. The report also covers the demonstration of 14 October and other preliminary data based on which the threat assessment was formed. On the basis of the report, the police acted appropriately.

18.2.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has prepared a proposal on changing the decree on fees charged by the police. The starting point for the proposal is that the provision of executive assistance provided to child welfare and social and crisis emergency services by the police would be free of charge in the futur. The aim is to guarantee that the most vulnerable individuals, such as children, will receive the required assistance in acute situations.

8.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior will allocate around EUR 44 million in EU funding to projects on border management, crime prevention and migration. The projects will improve the capabilities of security authorities, develop information systems, and secure resources for the authorities to manage migration. The funding will be granted from the EU Home Affairs Funds, under the autumn 2025 call for proposals.

7.5.2020 | On 7 May 2020, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to amend the Act on Police Administration. The proposal would specify the obligation of the National Police Board and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service to provide information to the Ministry of the Interior. Additionally, it would transfer the power to appoint heads of police departments from the Ministry of the Interior to the National Police Board, which directs and oversees the police departments.

19.12.2019 | The Ministry of the Interior has issued decrees on the fees charged by the police and the Finnish Immigration Service and on voluntary return assistance. The decrees will enter into force on 1 January 2020.

25.6.2026 | Today, the Government submitted its legislative proposal to amend the Firearms Act. The amendment aims to improve the applicability of firearms legislation and to address the deficiencies found in the implementation of the Firearms Directive.

2.6.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has published a programme for police traffic enforcement and traffic safety for 2021–2030. The programme aims to reduce traffic fatalities, serious injuries, traffic accidents and traffic offences, as well as transportation crime and the grey economy in commercial traffic.

29.8.2018 | The Government decided to allocate an additional appropriation of EUR 2.5 million for preventive police work in 2019. The aim of this is to respond to security challenges facing suburbs before problems escalate. The Government agreed the content of its budget proposal for 2019 in its budget session on 29 August.

Interoperability

Questions and answers about civilian intelligence legislation The aim of civilian intelligence legislation is to improve the capability of Finnish society to protect against threats to national security. What does civilian intelligence legislation...

9.3.2026 | Finland’s Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Lithuania’s Minister of the Interior Vladislav Kondratovič met in Helsinki on 9 March 2026. The ministers discussed, among other things, the Finnish police system, cooperation related to preparedness, and the countries' common security challenges.

10.4.2026 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen is currently visiting Türkiye to meet with the Turkish Minister of Interior Mustafa Çiftçi. Topics on the ministers’ agenda include the effects of the situation in the Middle East on migration as well as counterterrorism and police cooperation.

19.12.2018 | The new police strategy on preventive work aims to engender a sense of security and to decrease the financial and human costs of crimes and disruptions in society.

7.10.2020 | The Ministry of the Interior and the National Police Board have launched a new social media campaign for young people that aims to encourage them to think about the way we use social media to discuss issues and the impacts of hate speech in their surroundings and in society as a whole.

13.6.2018 | About 88 per cent of the respondents to the most recent Police Barometer survey considered that the police were fully or mostly able to fulfil their responsibility for ensuring public order and security in Finland. The results of the survey have been positive for quite some time now. What is also significant is that the results have even improved since 2012.

18.6.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior is requesting views on a draft proposal concerning the use of intelligence collection methods in premises used for permanent residence. The aim is to improve the ability of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service to safeguard national security.

21.2.2019 | The police will be given greater powers to intervene in the use of unmanned aircraft, or drones. On 21 February, the Government proposed that the Police Act be amended. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on 22 February.

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.

21.12.2017 | New legislation is proposed for the processing of personal data by the police. The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft law concerning the processing of personal data by the police. The new personal data act of the police would replace the existing provisions concerning the processing of personal data by the police. The new act must fulfill the requirements of the EU’s upda...

26.6.2018 | The Ministry of the Interior is drafting legislation that would give the police greater powers to intervene in the use of model and other recreational aircraft and unmanned aircraft or drones. The draft government proposal was sent out for comments on 25 June.

8.5.2017 | Cybercrime volumes have increased and will keep growing significantly. In particular, the number of online frauds has grown. Police is constantly developing capabilities to investigate cybercrime. Cybercrime constantly adopts new forms and the authorities need to keep pace with these developments.

16.3.2018 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project with the aim of ensuring that the police have necessary powers to intervene in the use of drones and unmanned aircraft, vessels and other vehicles. The project will also examine the possibility of the police to use these powers in their work.

19.12.2018 | The Ministry of the Interior has issued decrees on the fees charged for services provided by the police and the Finnish Immigration Service. Firearm-related fees charged by the police and security clearance fees charged by the Finnish Security Intelligence Service will increase. The fee for electronic applications for employees’ and entrepreneurs’ residence permits will decrease, while the fee for applications in paper format will increase.