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Cybersecurity as part of national security Cybersecurity is one of the areas of national security. The aim is to protect the increasingly digital society and society’s ability to function against hostile cyberattacks and intelligence gathering on ...

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...

15.2.2026 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen is currently visiting Iraq, where she will meet the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Minister of the Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari and other leaders of the country’s government. The purpose of the meetings is to strengthen the bilateral relations between Finland and Iraq in the internal security sector and to promote cooperation in questions concerning returns.

3.4.2025 | Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen is visiting Greece this week to meet with the Greek ministers relevant to her area of responsibility. The main themes of the visit are migration, border security and preparedness.

28.5.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo travelled to Kyiv on Wednesday 28 May at the invitation of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

6.7.2023 | The Border Guard will enhance border security at Finland's external and internal borders on 8–15 July. The Government made a decision on the matter on 6 July 2023.

20.12.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has commissioned an external study on the organisation of migration administration. Requested by the leaders of the five government parties, the study aims to provide an overall picture of migration legislation, processes related to entry into and stay in Finland, and the roles of national authorities.

29.6.2023 | In its plenary session on 29 June, the Government appointed Päivi Nerg (Master of Science in Agriculture and Forestry), Laura Rissanen (Master of Social Sciences), Timo Jaatinen (Master of Social Sciences), Elina Laavi (Master of Public Administration), Juha Martelius (Doctor of Social Sciences) and Teija Makkonen (Master of Military Science, Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Administrative Sciences) to serve as state secretaries.

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.

26.7.2021 | The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union has appointed Ilkka Salmi, Master of Laws, as the European Union Counter-Terrorism Coordinator.

13.8.2020 | On Thursday 13 August, the Government appointed Minna Hulkkonen, Master of Laws, as Director General of the Migration Department at the Ministry of the Interior for the period 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2025.

28.1.2021 | On Thursday 28 January, the Government appointed Antti Pelttari, Master of Laws, to continue in his post as the Director of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service. The post will be filled for the period from 1 March 2021 to 28 February 2026.

16.1.2020 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will hold a ministerial meeting in Paris on 17 January. The topics on the agenda are migration and integration. Finland will be represented by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.

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.

26.4.2019 | On 1 June 2019, new civilian intelligence legislation will enter into force in Finland with the goal of improving our capabilities to protect against serious threats to national security. The President of the Republic approved the amendments to the Police Act and the Act on the Use of Network Traffic Intelligence in Civilian Intelligence on 26 April.

11.3.2019 | On 11 March, Parliament approved a government proposal for a Civilian Intelligence Act. As a result, Finland will have a Civilian Intelligence Act that improves our capabilities to protect against serious threats to national security. Such threats include terrorism, espionage by foreign states or disruption of critical infrastructure.

25.10.2017 | Finnish Minister of the Interior Paula Risikko met with her Russian Federation counterpart, Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, in Helsinki on 25 October. This was the Ministers’ second bilateral meeting. The Ministers discussed bilateral issues such as combatting cross-border crime.

25.1.2018 | The Government has proposed the adoption of intelligence legislation in Finland, with the aim of improving our protection capabilities against serious threats to national security. Such threats include terrorism, espionage by foreign states or disruption of critical infrastructure. The focus of intelligence gathering by the Finnish Security Intelligence Service would therefore be on identifying threats and responding to them at an earlier stage.

7.9.2017 | The proposal for legislation on civilian intelligence that is being prepared by the Ministry of the Interior is considered necessary and worth supporting. Most of the 65 parties who commented on the report on civilian intelligence published last April were of this opinion. The consultation round for the proposal closed in June, and a summary of the received comments was published 7 September 2017.

19.4.2017 | A working group is proposing the adoption of intelligence legislation in Finland which aims to improve our protection capabilities against serious threats to national security. Such threats include terrorism, espionage by foreign states or disruption of critical infrastructure. The purpose of this legislation is to enable effective information gathering on these threats, and in this way to support the decision-making of the state leaders.