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1.9.2022 | The budget proposal for 2023 of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government builds sustainable growth for the future, secures purchasing power and assists people with the hike in electricity prices. The budget proposal responds to the effects of Russia’s war of aggression and inflation, improves safety and security, security of supply, and energy self-sufficiency, and provides further investment in research and development and in the green transition.

22.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to reform the provisions on removal from the country and entry bans laid down in the Aliens Act. The deadline for comments is 2 February 2026.

5.11.2014 | Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen: Terrorism to be fought on many fronts

6.11.2024 | Olin syyskuussa 2024 jo viidettä kertaa lyhytaikaisena vaalitarkkailijana, tällä kertaa Sri Lankassa. Komennus kesti vajaat kaksi viikkoa. Meitä lyhytaikaisia vaalitarkkailijoita oli yhteensä 32 – eli 16 paria – ja hajauduimme eri puolelle maata tukemaan pitkäaikaisia tarkkailijoita. 

9.12.2025 | The Government proposes improvements to the Finnish Border Guard's preparedness and its ability to respond to the requirements of the changed security and operating environment. The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a government proposal for an act amending the Border Guard Act and certain related acts.

18.7.2013 | Ministeri Räsänen: Kyberuhkien torjunta vaatii kaikkien yhteiskunnan toimijoiden huomion

6.2.2014 | Diversity Experts are trained in the Good Relations Project

31.12.2014 | Uusi yhdenvertaisuuslaki voimaan ensi vuoden alusta

17.9.2013 | "Tuntemattoman pelko on inhimillistä"

19.12.2012 | National Discrimination Tribunal's press release 19 Dec. 2012

28.8.2025 | The EU’s new Entry/Exit System will be gradually introduced across EU countries starting on 12 October 2025. On 28 August, the Government issued a decree to bring the national legislation related to the system into force. The decree will enter into force on 12 October 2025.

10.7.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a survey to better understand the situation of Ukrainians living in Finland. The survey focuses on their employment opportunities, future prospects and return plans. This information will help both the authorities and Ukrainians to prepare for the next steps.

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.

10.12.2025 | The wellbeing services county reform is progressing towards the set objectives throughout Finland, but there are still many issues left to address. This is according to a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform made by an independent expert group.

6.10.2010 | The working group set up to look into a ban on begging proposes the amendment of the Public Order Act to ban begging and unauthorised camping. The working group also proposes that the Ministry of Justice criminalise organised begging in the Criminal Code. The aim of the amendments and other measures proposed by the working group is to prevent organised begging and the related exploitation of beggars.

12.6.2025 | The Government will tighten conditions for family reunification, in other words residence permits issued to foreign nationals on the basis of family ties. In its session on 12 June, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the relevant amendments to the Aliens Act on 13 June. The amendments will enter into force on 16 June.

20.12.2023 | Civil defence shelters offer much more than strong protective structures. I don't think many people know about all the functionalities, devices and equipment that our civil defence shelters have – or should have, writes Project Manager Ira Pasi.

3.2.2025 | Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a proposal for amending the regulation on biometric data stored in the registers of the police and the Finnish Immigration Service. An objective of the Government Programme is to strengthen crime prevention and improve the conditions for using biometrics in law enforcement and crime prevention. The Ministry proposes that biometric data co...

14.7.2025 | The United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development will convene in New York from 14 to 23 July. The annual forum reviews progress made by the world’s countries in attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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.

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.

6.3.2025 | The Government is tightening the conditions for family reunification. In line with the Government Programme, the Government proposes that Finland should introduce the additional conditions permitted by the EU Family Reunification Directive concerning the spouses' minimum age, ability to provide for their own needs and the time they have stayed in the country. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on 6 March.

5.3.2025 | The EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on 5 March for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. The topics on the agenda include the state of the critical submarine infrastructure, the management of migration and the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime. Finland will be represented by Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

27.2.2025 | The process of granting temporary protection will become easier both for the beneficiaries and the authorities. At its session on 27 February, the Government proposed amendments to the Aliens Act and the entry-into-force provision of the Act on Temporarily Amending the Aliens Act. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on 28 February.

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.

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.

27.6.2024 | A new border procedure will be added to Finnish legislation. The procedure will allow asylum applications submitted by persons who have already arrived in the country to be processed near the border if certain preconditions are met. These are different provisions from the border security act that is currently being discussed by Parliament.

31.5.2024 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko held a videoconference on Friday 31 May. The home affairs ministers discussed Finland's assistance to Ukraine and Ukraine's immediate support needs. The ministers also talked about Ukraine's preparedness expertise.

18.4.2024 | The Government proposes that the Border Guard be allowed to use more modern technology in its key statutory duties, such as border control and the maintenance of border security and order along the border. The government proposal for amending the Border Guard Act and certain related acts was submitted to Parliament on 18 April.

18.4.2024 | On 18 April, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for introducing a new border procedure. The Aliens Act will be amended in line with the EU Asylum Procedures Directive to introduce the new border procedure in Finland. The purpose of the border procedure is to enhance the examination of unfounded applications and the return of applicants whose application has been rejected. In addition, this will prevent secondary movements of asylum seekers to other EU countries. 

30.1.2023 | Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen and Permanent Secretary Kirsi Pimiä will visit the United States between 29 January and 3 February. Their visit seeks to deepen bilateral relations with the United States counterparts in the Ministry of the Interior’s branch of government and with key stakeholders. They also aim explore recent developments in the areas of internal and national security and migration in the United States.

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. 

4.12.2023 | The EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on 5 December for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Items on the agenda for the meeting include issues related to the Schengen area, improving the efficiency of procedures to return migrants, and the implications of the situation in the Middle East for the EU’s internal security.

12.2.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft proposal for introducing a border procedure. The border procedure involves swift processing of asylum seekers' applications in the vicinity of the border.

20.12.2022 | The President of the Republic approved supplementary legislation on the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) on 20 December. The supplementary legislation amends the national legislation as required by the relevant European Parliament and Council regulations. 

11.4.2023 | Cyber security threats have increased and diversified in recent years, calling for the continuous and systematic development of cyber security. A newly published report identifies several development measures that can improve the authorities’ capacity to protect national cyber security, combat serious cyber crime and develop cyber defence.

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.

26.9.2023 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched a project to examine the reception allowance granted to applicants for international protection and beneficiaries of temporary protection. According to the Government Programme, the amount of the reception allowance will be reduced to the minimum amount permitted by the Constitution and the Reception Directive. The aim is to submit a proposal to Parliament for consideration during the 2024 spring session.

22.6.2022 | In future, the border procedure could be introduced by decision of the Government if an exceptionally large number of people were to arrive in Finland over a short period of time or if hybrid influence activities that exploit migration were directed against Finland. The Government submitted the relevant proposal for amending the Aliens Act to Parliament on 22 June. The purpose of the proposal is to make it easier to manage migrants who have made their way towards Finland.

7.9.2023 | At its meeting on 7 September, the Government decided that Finland would no longer grant temporary protection and new residence permits to those third-country nationals who have fled Ukraine and who were not granted international protection or a permanent residence permit by Ukraine. This decision will not affect the protection already granted or the validity of the residence permits already issued.

6.9.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent a draft proposal for an amendment to the Aliens Act out for comments. The amendment would allow a residence permit and an alien’s passport to be issued to applicants whose lack of a travel document is the sole impediment to issuing a residence permit.

18.2.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to review the provisions on the Assistance System for Victims of Human Trafficking. This builds on the Government Programme, which states that the status of victims will be improved, regardless of the progress of related criminal proceedings in a human trafficking case.

29.12.2022 | A temporary amendment to the Aliens Act will ensure the validity of residence permits issued in Finland to beneficiaries of temporary protection for as long as the temporary protection is in effect in the EU. A person's first residence permit will be issued directly for the entire period of validity of the temporary protection. Moreover, those who have already received residence permits will not need to apply for an extension separately.

19.9.2022 | The Government proposes amendments to the emergency response centre legislation to update the provisions on the processing of personal data in centre operations to comply with the EU data protection legislation.

17.11.2022 | The Government proposes an amendment to the Aliens Act to enable clients of the Finnish Immigration Service to request an administrative review of decisions concerning residence permits for specialists and the EU Blue Card. The proposal aims to allow the Service to make automated decisions on these case types. The Government submitted its proposal to Parliament on 17 November.

2.9.2021 | The recruitment procedure for civilian crisis management experts to be sent abroad will be developed. The Government submitted a legislative proposal on the matter to Parliament on 2 September. The aim is for Finland to have at its disposal a sufficiently large, diverse and competent group of experts for civilian crisis management tasks. Attention will also be given to the impact of civilian crisis management work on the human resources of public sector employers.  

14.10.2021 | The Government has submitted to Parliament a government proposal for supplementary legislation on the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). The purpose of the proposal is to make amendments to the national legislation as required by the relevant European Parliament and Council regulations. 

20.12.2022 | Amendments to the Aliens Act will extend the use of a long-term visa known as a D visa. The amendments will contribute to promoting education-based and labour-based immigration and streamline entry procedures. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on 20 December.

22.9.2022 | The Government proposes several amendments to the Rescue Act and the Act on the Emergency Services Academy. For example, it is proposed that the obligation to purchase and maintain smoke detectors in apartments be transferred from residents to building owners.

17.6.2021 | The Finnish Immigration Service has introduced a new function in the service system to make it easier for seasonal workers to change employers while they are in Finland. The relevant amendment to the Decree of the Ministry of the Interior on Chargeable Services of the Finnish Immigration Service is based on an amendment to the Seasonal Workers Act. Both the amendment to the Seasonal Workers Act and the amendment to the Decree will enter into force on 17 June 2021.

27.9.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft of a temporary amendment to the Aliens Act that would ensure the validity of residence permits issued in Finland to recipients of temporary protection for as long as the temporary protection is in effect in the EU. With the amendment, first residence permits would be issued directly for the entire period of validity of the temporary protection.

3.11.2022 | A temporary amendment to the Aliens Act would ensure the validity of residence permits issued in Finland to recipients of temporary protection for as longs as the temporary protection is in effect in the EU. With the amendment, first residence permits would be issued directly for the entire period of validity of the temporary protection. Moreover, those who have already received residence permits would not need to apply for an extension separately.

22.1.2021 | On 22 January, the Government decided at an extraordinary meeting to tighten border traffic and the recommendations on testing and quarantine.

24.2.2022 | A working group chaired by the Ministry of the Interior has assessed legislation falling within the purview of the Ministry and the need for amendments to prepare for hybrid influencing that exploits migration. The study suggests that practical amendments for responding to hybrid influencing and managing situations could be made to the Aliens Act, the Act on the Reception of Persons Applying for Internatio...

24.3.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft proposal on amendments to the emergency response centre legislation. The legislative amendments concern the Act on Emergency Response Centre Operations and related acts. Comments on the draft will be accepted until 13 May 2022.

8.6.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent a draft government proposal for supplementary legislation on the Entry/Exit System (EES) and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) out for comments. The purpose of the proposal is to make amendments to the national legislation as required by the relevant European Parliament and Council regulations. 

22.1.2021 | On 22 January, the Government decided to tighten the restrictions on entry into Finland. The new restrictions will enter into force on 27 January and will remain in force until 25 February. The new restrictions aim to reduce cross-border traffic in order to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variants. The epidemiological situation in Finland differs considerably from that in other Schengen countries.

16.4.2020 | Different parts of Finland are reporting engagement in activities by violent extremist movements. Violent non-parliamentary far right movements are active in the areas of all police departments. In some areas, there are also reports of activities of violent non-parliamentary far left groups, mainly anarchists and anti-fascists. These conclusions are presented in the new situation overview of violent extremism.

20.5.2021 | On 20 May, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 15 June 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, and we do not yet have adequate measures available to replace the restrictions. For this reason, and to curb the spread of COVID-19 variants, both internal border controls and restrictions on external border traffic will continue. Minor amendments will be made to the decisions adopted on 22 April. These will enter into force on 24 May.

4.8.2023 | Summary: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues. As a result of the war, around four million Ukrainians have applied for temporary protection in the Member States of the European Union. Other migration to the EU is also growing. Both the number of asylum applications submitted in the EU and irregular migration to the EU are on the rise. At the moment, migration pressure is concentrated on the Central Mediterranean route from Tunisia and Libya to Italy.