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7.1.2021 | On 7 January, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 9 February 2021. The COVID-19 epidemic is still clearly growing globally, and the number of infections is increasing in most countries more sharply than in Finland. It is therefore not justified to ease the restrictions until the new health security measures under preparation have been made sufficiently available.

13.5.2020 | In line with the Government’s hybrid strategy, Finland is now beginning the controlled dismantling of the restrictive measures put in place to mitigate the COVID-19 crisis. The restrictions and recommendations on border traffic will be gradually dismantled starting on 14 May at 00.00 until further notice.

10.2.2022 | The European Commission wants to harmonise measures taken by the Member States at the EU’s external borders in various crisis situations. The Commission issued a proposal for amending the Schengen Borders Code in December. The aim is to develop the Member States’ joint actions at the external and internal borders and in the area of free movement. The Government expressed its position on the proposal in its communication submitted to Parliament on 10 February.

2.2.2022 | EU home affairs ministers will gather in Lille, France, on 3 February for an Informal Meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers. The ministers will discuss the security of Europe’s borders and the reform of the EU’s migration and asylum policy. Another topic on the agenda will be the impact of climate change on civil protection. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting.

13.8.2021 | In response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Finnish Government decided at an extraordinary meeting on 13 August that Afghans who have worked for Finland, the EU and NATO can be admitted to Finland with their families and issued residence permits.

11.9.2020 | On 11 September, the Government adopted a decision on restrictions on border traffic, which will enter into force on 19 September and continue until 18 October. Restrictions on entry will be lifted for traffic between Finland and Cyprus, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as for residents of Australia, Canada and Japan who are travelling from their home country to Finland.

11.9.2020 | On 11 September, the Government adopted a decision on restrictions on border traffic, which will enter into force on 19 September and continue until 18 October. Restrictions on entry will be lifted for traffic between Finland and Cyprus, Germany, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as for residents of Australia, Canada and Japan who are travelling from their home country to Finland.

19.11.2020 | On 19 November, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 13 December 2020. The COVID-19 epidemic continues to accelerate, and there are significant differences between the situation Finland and in the rest of Europe. It is therefore not justified to ease the restrictions until the new health security measures under preparation have been made sufficiently available.

12.2.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has prepared legislative amendments to implement the EU directive on access to financial information at national level. The directive contains rules to facilitate the use of information held in bank account registries by the authorities for the purpose of preventing, detecting, investigating or prosecuting certain offences.

15.5.2020 | Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo met with the Ministers of the Interior of the other Nordic countries on 15 May to discuss the restrictions on border traffic imposed due to the COVID-19 situation and their gradual dismantling. The meeting was held via videoconference.

25.3.2020 | On 25 March 2020, the Government decided to restrict traffic between the Region of Uusimaa and other regions as of 27 March. The restrictions will be in force until 19 April 2020. The purpose of the new restrictions is to prevent coronavirus infections and to slow the spread of the epidemic from Uusimaa to other parts of Finland. On 25 March, the Government submitted to Parliament a decree concerning the use of powers under the Emergency Powers Act relating to the restrictions on movement.

8.7.2021 | The Government has decided to continue internal border control until 25 July to ensure the introduction of health security measures at borders. After this short transitional period, internal border control and entry restrictions at internal borders will be lifted. Internal border traffic refers to traffic between Finland and other Schengen countries. Changes will be made to external border control as well.

18.8.2021 | This week, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has released a non-return advisory calling for all countries to suspend the return of Afghan nationals to their country of origin. The advisory also applies to the return of asylum seekers who have had their claims rejected. Finland has followed this policy for several weeks now.

11.2.2021 | On 11 February, the Government decided to change certain entry restrictions, which will take effect from 15 February. Because the coronavirus situation in Iceland has improved, Finland will no longer restrict entry from Iceland. In contrast, entry restrictions will again apply to residents of Rwanda arriving from Rwanda. In addition, the opening hours of certain border crossing points on the western border in Lapland and the eastern border will be limited.

4.5.2020 | A research project will examine the combined effects of the amendments to the Aliens Act and the practices of applying the Act with regard to the status of those requesting and receiving international protection. In particular, the project will examine whether the amendments have had an impact on safeguarding the best interests of the child.

18.11.2021 | Trafficking in human beings is a global phenomenon, and even individual human trafficking offences often extend to more than one state. The ministers speaking at an anti-trafficking seminar in Helsinki on Thursday consider cross-border measures against human trafficking to be of utmost importance.

11.3.2021 | On 11 March, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 17 April 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, and there are no adequate measures available yet 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. Only minor changes were made to the decisions taken on 18 February.

11.6.2020 | On 11 June, the Government outlined its proposal that border control will continue partially at internal borders and external border traffic will continue to be restricted until 14 July 2020. The restrictions will continue to the extent that they are considered mandatory due to a serious threat posed by the epidemiological situation. The Government will take the decision on this matter in its plenary session on 12 June.

20.1.2022 | Representatives of the EU Member States, the European Commission and EU agencies will meet in Vilnius, Lithuania on 20–21 January for a conference on external border control organised by Austria, Greece, Lithuania and Poland. The conference serves as a forum where Member States can discuss ways to develop the EU’s external border control to be better equipped to respond to current and future challenges. State Secretary Akseli Koskela will represent Finland at the meeting.

3.3.2022 | EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on 3 March for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Topics on the meeting agenda will include the state of Schengen and the reform of the EU’s migration and asylum policy. The ministers will also continue their discussions on the EU’s response to the situation in Ukraine. Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen will represent Finland at the meeting.

4.10.2019 | Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will attend the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 8 October. EU home affairs ministers will discuss migration, countering hybrid threats and counter-terrorism, among other topics. The discussions on fighting against terrorism and preventing violent extremism will stress the importance of tackling the phenomenon in all its forms, right-wing violent extremism and terrorism included.

27.1.2022 | On 1 December, the European Commission issued a proposal for provisional emergency measures for the benefit of Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The proposal is part of a set of joint EU measures aimed at responding to Belarus’s actions. Belarus has made efforts at its borders to instrumentalise migration for political purposes. The Government expressed its position on the proposal in its communication submitted to Parliament on 27 January.

23.7.2020 | In its meeting on 23 July, the Government decided to reinstate internal border control for traffic between Finland and Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland. These countries have seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections since the previous assessment. The reinstated restrictions will enter into force on Monday 27 July.

28.3.2020 | On 27 March, the Government submitted to Parliament two decrees concerning the Uusimaa region on the entry into force and the application of the restrictions on movement laid down in the Emergency Powers Act. The restrictions concern movement to and from the Uusimaa region. The movement restrictions in the Uusimaa region will enter into force on 28 March and remain in force until 19 April 2020.

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.

20.8.2020 | Based on the current epidemiological assessment, restrictions on entry into the country will be reinstated for traffic between Finland and the following countries: Iceland, Greece, Malta, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Cyprus and San Marino. In addition, the restrictions will apply to Japanese residents on flights arriving in Finland from Japan. The reinstated restrictions will enter into force on Monday 24 August.

24.9.2020 | On 24 September, the Government adopted a decision on restrictions on entry into the country, which will enter into force on 28 September. Restrictions on entry will be reintroduced for traffic between Finland and Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Slovakia and Sweden, as well as for residents of Canada, Georgia and Tunisia who are travelling from their home country to Finland. Restrictions will be lifted for traffic arriving in Finland from San Marino.

8.4.2022 | On assignment by the Government, the Finnish Immigration Service has prepared a procedure where persons in temporary protection are granted the reception services they need without municipalities establishing a reception centre. Municipalities will receive compensation from the central government for providing the agreed services.

10.7.2020 | On 10 July, the Government decided on the continuation of internal border control and on the restrictions on external border traffic. As of 13 July 2020, the Government will lift the restrictions on traffic at the internal borders between Finland and countries where the incidence of the coronavirus is similar to that in the countries where internal border control has already been lifted.

6.8.2020 | In its meeting on 6 August, the Finnish Government decided to reinstate internal border control for traffic between Finland and the Netherlands and between Finland and Belgium. Restrictions on external border traffic will be reinstated for traffic from Andorra to Finland. The number of coronavirus cases in the Netherlands, Belgium and Andorra has taken an upward turn since the previous assessment. The reinstated restrictions will enter into force on Monday 10 August.

8.7.2020 | In its meeting on Wednesday 8 July, the Government also received a briefing on the epidemiological situation and heard a report on the safe entry of berry pickers.

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.

17.10.2019 | Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo invited representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the authorities to discuss honour-related violence and other restrictions on girls’ lives. Much has already been done to prevent honour-related violence, but the work must continue. Raising awareness and continuous training and cooperation among professionals are among the most important means of tackling the problem.

7.10.2021 | National implementation of the EU Directive on access to financial information moves a step closer. On 7 October, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal to amend the Act on the Bank and Payment Accounts Control System and the Act on the Financial Intelligence Unit.

13.10.2020 | The Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services has reviewed the opinions submitted in the round of comments held from 15 June to 25 September 2020 on its draft government proposal. As a result, the Government has made a number of policy adjustments and amendments to the draft. A total of 804 comments were received. The draft proposal will be submitted to the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis on 14 October 2020 and presented to Parliament in early December 2020.

31.3.2021 | On 31 March 2021, the Government proposed new legislation to improve the legal status and earnings opportunities of foreign berry pickers and to make the competitive environment equal to companies in the sector. As foreign berry pickers have not been deemed to be in an employment relationship but instead to work as entrepreneurs, their status is currently unregulated from a legal point of view.

8.12.2020 | The Government proposes that wellbeing services counties be established and healthcare, social welfare and rescue services be reformed. The proposed counties would be established as soon as possible after the passing and approval of the relevant bills. The bills would enter into force in stages, the first ones on 1 July 2021 and the last ones on 1 January 2023. However, Parliament needs to pass the legislative package before the reform can enter into force.

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...

21.10.2020 | An action plan will be drawn up to prevent bullying. The programme's measures aim to make sure that it is safe for all children and young people to attend school. At their meeting on Wednesday 21 October, the Ministerial Working Group on Competence, Education, Culture and Innovation and the Ministerial Working Group on Child and Youth Policy decided to start preparing the programme.

12.11.2020 | An informal meeting of EU home affairs ministers will be held via video conference on Friday 13 November. The topics on the agenda are the fight against terrorism and the reform of migration and asylum policy. Finland is represented by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo. 

6.7.2020 | The EU home affairs ministers will meet at the first informal meeting of Interior Ministers during Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 7 July. The meeting will be held as a video conference. The Ministers will discuss the development of European law enforcement cooperation and search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea. Finland will be represented by Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.

28.3.2019 | The Aliens Act will be amended, for example by specifying the criteria for the processing of subsequent applications. The Government submitted the amendments to the Act for approval on Thursday 28 March, and the President of the Republic will approve the Act on Friday. The Act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 June 2019.

30.12.2020 | The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex will have a new operational standing corps starting on 1 January 2021. The standing corps will support the EU Member States in managing the Union’s external borders and the return of third-country nationals. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on 30 December. The new amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2021.

7.10.2020 | On 8 October, Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo will attend an informal meeting of the EU home affairs ministers via video conference. The main theme of the meeting will be the reform of the EU migration and asylum policy. The ministers will now have their first discussion about the reform and the way forward. No decisions will be made at the informal meeting.

11.11.2021 | The Government has adopted new programmes for the European Union Home Affairs Funds for the programming period 2021–2027. The Funds for the programming period include the Internal Security Fund, the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy.

12.9.2019 | Legislation concerning the processing of personal data in the field of immigration administration to be collected into a single act. Government proposal on the Personal Data Act in the Field of Immigration Administration and related acts was given to parliament on 12 September.

25.2.2021 | International internet crime and mobile crime are constantly evolving. Proposed amendments to the Europol Regulation concern, for example, exchange of information between Europol and private operators to ensure that prevention of serious international crime and terrorism meets today’s requirements.

31.3.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior has published a guide on good practices for identifying and preventing hate crimes for the police and their stakeholders.

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.

21.12.2022 | The start of 2023 will see the entry into force of amendments to acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes. 

22.12.2021 | The Lotteries Act that regulates gambling will be amended. The focus of the reform is on preventing harm caused by gambling, combating marketing that violates the Lotteries Act, and directing the demand for gambling towards activities that are covered by the Lotteries Act. The President of the Republic approved the bill on 22 December 2021. The amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2022.

11.9.2020 | The Ministry of the Interior has launched an update of an action plan for preventing illegal entry and residence for 2021–2024. Along with the issues in the previous action plans, the new action plan will also examine the status of those residing in the country without a residence permit, the phenomena of abuse associated with them and the status of human trafficking victims.

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.

20.5.2020 | The Decree on Fees Charged for Services Provided by the Finnish Immigration Service will be temporarily amended. Because of the travel restrictions imposed due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, there are people in Finland whose right of residence is about to end or has already ended and who are unable to leave the country. They will be charged a lower fee for the processing of their residence permit application than usual.

12.6.2018 | 1(2) Ministry of the Interior Printable form for information requests in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) entered into force in May 2016 and became applicabl...

10.1.2019 | The Government will strengthen the powers of the Finnish Border Guard to quickly and effectively intervene in hybrid threats. Better preparedness for hybrid threats will improve the Border Guard's crisis resilience and capacity to manage large-scale incidents. The Government submitted the amendments to the Border Guard Act, the Aliens Act and certain related acts for approval on 10 January. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on 11 January.

5.12.2018 | The Government wants to amend the processing of subsequent applications for international protection. The Government submitted its proposal on the matter to Parliament on 5 December. The amendments are based on the EU Asylum Procedures Directive. Finland has not previously included all the provisions of the Directive in the Aliens Act.

16.4.2018 | The position and role of women and children in radical Islamist terrorist organisations are under special review in the new situation overview of violent extremism. According to the 2017 overview, more than half of the suspected crimes reported to the police where an extremist motive was indicated were associated with violent right-wing extremism.

23.1.2020 | On 23 January, the Government appointed Kirsi Pimiä, Master of Laws with court training, as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior. She will take up her new post on 1 February and her term of office will last for five years.

20.8.2020 | On Thursday 20 August, the Government appointed Jari Kähkönen, Master of Administrative Sciences, as the Director General of the Finnish Immigration Service for the period between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2025.