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16.4.2026 | Ministers responsible for preparedness from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland and Germany have issued a joint statement in connection with their meeting in Helsinki on 16 April. According to the statement, Russia’s large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine remains the most significant factor affecting Europe’s security in the long term.

Order of precedence International flag etiquette should be observed when flags of more than one nation are flown. On international occasions, the flag of the host nation should have pride of place. This rule has also been incorporated in the decre...

23.4.2025 | Finland’s Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen and Sweden’s Minister for Migration Johan Forssell met in Helsinki on Wednesday 23 April. Later the same day, Minister Rantanen also had a meeting with Sweden's Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin in Espoo.

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...

16.9.2024 | At a meeting between the Finnish and Swedish governments in Stockholm on 16 September, the countries agreed to further intensify their cooperation in civil preparedness and emergency planning. Minister of Transport, Communications and the Interior Lulu Ranne and Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin signed a letter of intent concerning the joint planning of the protection of the civilian population.

Organised crime has a major impact on society There is no single precise definition of the concept of organised crime. Organised crime usually refers to a group of individuals that systematically commits serious crimes. These activities may take v...

Interoperability

16.4.2026 | Ministers responsible for internal security and preparedness (or their deputies) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden will meet in Helsinki on 16 April to discuss how the EU can prepare for security threats and various crises. Sauli Niinistö, former President of Finland, and Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, will deliver the opening addresses.

Answers to questions about biometric data regulation What is biometric data? Biometric data means personal data that result from technical processing, such as facial images and fingerprints, and allow the unique identification of a person. Who mak...

Expatriate Finns are Finnish citizens who live permanently outside Finland

6.3.2026 | Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany have agreed to deepen their cooperation on protecting the civilian population and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the ministries responsible for civil preparedness. The ministers discussed the Memorandum at a videoconference in February, with Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen representing Finland.

Interoperability

16.4.2026 | Helsinki, 16 April 2026 Statement of the European Coalition for Civil Preparedness and Resilience Ministers and representatives responsible for the internal security, civil preparedness and resilience of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denm...

17.12.2025 | Finland, together with Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden, has published a letter to the European Commission calling for new and innovative solutions to counter and prevent irregular migration to Europe.

13.11.2025 | Nordic ministers responsible for civil preparedness or their deputies will meet in Helsinki on 13 November. This so-called Haga ministerial meeting will be chaired by Finnish Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. The ministers will discuss topical issues related to crisis preparedness in the Nordic countries.

17.10.2025 | The Rescue Borealis exercise, conducted in Finland between August and October 2025, brought together around 700 professionals from healthcare, rescue services and other security authorities from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany. This multi-agency exercise, which was mainly funded by the European Commission and focused on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats (CBRN), was reportedly the largest of its kind in Europe in recent years.

16.1.2025 | The Government has issued a decree bringing into force the agreement on police cooperation in the border area between Finland and Sweden. The agreement will enter into force on 1 February 2025.

2.10.2025 | The tense security situation underscores the importance of preparedness, both in the Baltic Sea region and in the Euro-Arctic area. Meeting new threats requires joint exercises and well-functioning processes, as underlined at the Rescue Borealis 2025 international field exercise held in Oulu.

28.10.2025 | The interior ministers of Finland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Sweden and Denmark will meet in Gdánsk, Poland, on 28 October. The ministers will discuss countering hybrid threats posed by Russia and Belarus, and evacuation practices in the countries in the Baltic Sea region. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

18.12.2025 | 1 16 December 2025 Joint follow-up letter from the undersigned ministers on the operationalisation of new and innovative solutions to counter and prevent irregular migration to Europe The following is a joint letter from the undersigned ministers....