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History of the flag Before gaining independence in 1917, Finland was part of Sweden until incorporated into the Russian empire in 1809. The flags of these two countries were also used as the official Finnish flag and, even though under Russian rul...

Online targeting and shaming Online targeting and shaming is a phenomenon in which one or more persons or groups urge and incite a large number of people to attack one person in different ways, for example by sending hate messages by email or post...

Racist crimes account for most hate crimes There is no single universally agreed definition of hate crime. A hate crime is generally taken to mean any criminal act which is motivated by prejudice or hostility against groups of people that the vict...

13.3.2026 | The EU ministers responsible for energy issues will convene in Brussels on 16 March 2026. The meeting agenda will include the European grids package for 2028–2034, the action plan for affordable energy, and energy security. Finland will be represented by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.

2.9.2025 | The Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2026. The Government’s decisions aim to support economic growth, which is picking up. Supporting economic growth and continuing responsible fiscal management is necessary to ensure the security of people in Finland and safeguard their access to important services going forward.

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.

10.6.2024 | ‘ To the attention of: Ms Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs Ms Ilze Juhansone, Secretary-General of the Commission Mr Anthony Whelan, Acting Head of Cabinet of President von der Leyen Ms Beate Gminder, Acting Director-General for the D...

4.10.2019 | A third of municipal decision-makers and almost half of the Members of Finnish Parliament or their assistants have been subjected to hate speech due to their official duties or positions of trust. In addition, about a third of the decision-makers consider that hate speech in public debate has increased in recent years. These are the results of a recent study.

24.11.2023 | “There has been a great deal of public debate and people have been asking about whether it is possible to close the entire eastern border. If needed, the entire eastern border can be closed,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

27.4.2023 | The Ministry of the Interior has published a report on the operation of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service concerning Matti Saarelainen, who previously held high-level positions both at the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and the Immigration Office. The Ministry has also drawn up a memorandum on the Immigration Office’s citizenship decisions concerning the Timchenko family.

9.3.2023 | EU home affairs ministers gather in Brussels on 9 March for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Items on the agenda include the monitoring of the implementation of the Action Plans on the Western Balkans and Central Mediterranean migration routes. The European Commission presented both plans at the end of last year. Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

23.8.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior is launching a series of immigration dialogues. The idea is for various actors across Finland to organise discussions on immigration this autumn. The aim of the discussions is to increase understanding of different perspectives and the changing nature of immigration.

11.5.2021 | On 11 May, the EU Member States and a group of African countries invited by Portugal met via a video conference at the Ministerial Conference on Management of Migratory Flows. The Conference was organised at the initiative of the Portuguese Council Presidency, and Finland was represented by State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen.  The Conference was also attended by the European Commission, the Europ...

4.9.2019 | Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo and Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson will present themes for Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament in Brussels on 4 September.

11.2.2021 | Employers should support an employee who is subject to online targeting and shaming on social media or otherwise because of his or her duties. In addition, the police must ensure uniform practices in the investigation of online targeting and shaming. This will improve the position of the victim and safeguard legal protection, says the Ministry of the Interior's working group.

15.3.2021 | The home affairs ministers and foreign affairs ministers of EU member states will meet at an informal video conference on 15 March 2021. Finland will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen. The announced theme of the meeting is the external dimension of the EU’s migration and asylum reform. The debate will focus on mutually benefic...

18.7.2019 | The EU home affairs ministers met in Helsinki on 18 July to discuss internal security and migration. The agenda of this informal meeting also included a scenario-based discussion exercise on how to counter hybrid threats. This was the first exercise of its kind to be organised at ministerial level by Finland’s Presidency.

14.1.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior’s project examined ways to clarify the picture of migration to Finland in the next few years and its impacts on the Finnish migration administration, especially the Finnish Immigration Service. The aim is to ensure that the migration administration meets the needs of society by means of smooth services.

11.3.2021 | Informal video conference of home affairs ministers on Friday 12 March. Finland will be represented at the meeting by State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen. At their meeting, ministers will hold a policy debate on the proposal for a directive to enhance the resilience of critical entities.

23.5.2018 | The history of the Finnish flag is an expedition into our Finnish identity and our national mindscape. One hundred years ago, the fight for our own flag had to do with the past and our right to define the essence of Finnish identity. After a long and multifaceted debate, the blue and white colours were chosen to symbolise the national identity of Finland.