Haku

Accident prevention is a joint effort

26.1.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has supplemented the decree on fees charged for services provided by the police in 2026 with licence fees related to gambling services under the new Gambling Act. The new fees will be charged for an exclusive licence, a gambling licence and an authorisation for international cooperation for the holder of an exclusive licence or a gambling licence. The fees will also be charged for the alteration of an exclusive licence or a gambling licence.

28.8.2023 | Finland's civil defence shelters are largely in good repair, but there is still some need for maintenance and repairs. A new Ministry of the Interior study shows that more than 90 per cent of civil defence shelters would provide people with good protection against the effects of conventional weapons. Shelter equipment is in most need of repair. Based on the report, the Ministry of the Interior has drawn up four recommendations for improving the network of civil defence shelters.

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.

27.1.2022 | Internal border control, which was reinstated for traffic between Finland and all Schengen countries at the end of December, will end on 31 January. In contrast, restrictions on external border traffic will continue until 14 February. The Government adopted a decision on the restrictions on external border traffic on 27 January and the decision will enter into force on 1 February.

3.6.2021 | On Thursday 3 June, the Government appointed Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Master of Laws, as Director General of the International Affairs Unit in the Ministry of the Interior for the period 1 July 2021 to 30 April 2026. 

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.

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.

3.6.2021 | On 3 June, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 27 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. Some amendments will be made to the decisions adopted on 20 May. These will enter into force on 7 June.

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.

30.1.2020 | On 30 January, the Government appointed Taito Vainio as Director of the Emergency Response Centre Agency. Vainio holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences and a Master's degree in Technology. He will take up his post on 1 March and his term of office will last for five years. The post is based in Pori.

31.3.2021 | On 31 March, the Government decided to extend the restrictions on entry into the country until 30 April 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. No substantive changes were made to the decisions taken on 11 March. The changes will enter into force on 1 April.

19.9.2019 | At its plenary session on 19 September 2019, the Government decided to propose that the President of the Republic appoint Major General Pasi Kostamovaara as Chief of the Border Guard as of 1 October 2019. The appointment is a fixed-term one until the end of 2024. At the same time, the Government proposed that Rear Admiral Markku Hassinen be appointed Deputy Chief of the Border Guard from 1 October 2019 to 31 December 2024.

4.10.2018 | On 4 October, the Government appointed Kimmo Kohvakka, Master of Arts in Military Science, as Director General for Rescue Services. He will take up his new post on 1 November and his term of office will last for five years.

18.7.2018 | The introduction of the online service under the Firearms Act will be postponed. The reason for the postponement is that the police’s system for information on weapons is still incomplete. The Ministry of the Interior set up a legislative project on 18 July to amend the law with respect to the entry into force of the online service. The legislative proposal will be sent on a round of consultations at the same time.

6.7.2018 | Crisis Management Centre Finland (CMC Finland) will be relocated from Kuopio to Helsinki. The Ministry of the Interior made a decision on the relocation on 5 July 2018. The Crisis Management Centre is one of the authorities involved in the implementation of foreign and security policy in Finland. Strengthening Finland’s position in international crisis management must be done in cooperation with our partners in comprehensive crisis management and other international partners.

22.3.2018 | The Government has appointed Ilkka Salmi, Master of Laws, to the post of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior. The fixed-term appointment is for five years.

4.7.2018 | A project appointed by the Ministry of the Interior on 3 July will investigate and draft possible amendments to the Aliens Act concerning the processing of subsequent applications for international protection and the implementation of the Finnish Immigration Service’s decisions enabled by the EU Asylum Procedures Directive. In connection with this project, an amendment required by the Court of Justice of the European Union will also be made to the Aliens Act.

28.9.2017 | The European Union has appointed Director General Kauko Aaltomaa of the Police Department, the Ministry of the Interior, as Head of the EUPOL COPPS civilian crisis management operation on 28 September 2017.

21.9.2018 | The Finnish Government has commissioned a pilot study on bottlenecks in the processing of residence permits on the basis of employment. The ministerial working group on migration discussed the study report in its meetings on 21 September 2018. Cooperation between the authorities should be improved and electronic services and customer services developed, according to the report authors.