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Strengthening crime prevention The Ministry of the Interior is carrying out several legislative projects which, in line with the Government Programme, aim to strengthen crime prevention. The key means include drafting regulation on threat-informed...

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...

Property and traffic offences the most common types of crime The crime rate has mainly shown a downward trend in Finland in recent decades. Property and traffic offences remain the most common types of crime. Property offences account for just und...

Trafficking in human beings is a serious offence Trafficking in human beings is a serious offence, where perpetrators subjugate their victims. Usually, the objective is to exploit the victims commercially or to gain some other profit. As trafficki...

Cybercrime knows no borders Cybercrime refers to criminal activities that take place online or exploit information networks and systems. A growing number of crimes reported to the police now involve the use of these technologies in some way. Cyber...

Police The Ministry of the Interior guides and directs the police service, and prepares related legislation. The purpose of police work is to ensure the safety of people and the environment. The National Police Board guides and directs operational...

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...

25.9.2025 | The Government proposes amendments to acts governing the use of biometric data stored in the registers of the police and the Finnish Immigration Service. Improving the use of biometric data would particularly support the investigation of the most serious crimes. The Government submitted the proposal to Parliament on 25 September.

3.2.2025 | Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a proposal for amending the regulation on biometric data stored in the registers of the police and the Finnish Immigration Service. An objective of the Government Programme is to strengthen crime prevention and improve the conditions for using biometrics in law enforcement and crime prevention. The Ministry proposes that biometric data co...

29.8.2025 | Public trust in the police has remained stable for a long time. Of those who responded to the latest Police Barometer survey, 92 per cent trust the police a lot or a fair amount. Respectful treatment of people by the police and fair police activities affect people’s trust.

29.12.2022 | The status and the right to services of victims of human trafficking will improve as the help provided through the Assistance System will no longer depend on the progress of the criminal proceedings related to human trafficking. Primarily, assistance will be based on an assessment of the victim’s individual situation. The President of the Republic approved the related legislative amendments on 29 December and they will enter into force on 1 January.

20.10.2022 | The Government aims to improve the status of victims of human trafficking and strengthen their right to services, regardless of the progress of related criminal proceedings in a human trafficking case. The purpose is to loosen the link between assistance to victims and criminal proceedings by amending the Act on the Reception of Persons Applying for International Protection and on the Identification of and Assistance to Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings.

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.

18.3.2021 | The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment have ordered a review of the grounds on which victims of human trafficking are granted residence permits. The review will be conducted by the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman acting as the national human trafficking rapporteur. The aim is to investigate how the Finnish Immigration Service applies the special regulation of the Aliens Act to the continuous residence permit granted to trafficking victims.

23.5.2023 | A study commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior examined the reflection periods granted to victims of human trafficking during which the victims can decide whether to cooperate with the authorities in apprehending those suspected of human trafficking. The study also examined how suspicion of trading in sexual services was applied as grounds for denial of admittance or stay.

14.4.2023 | The Non-Violent Childhoods Action Plan contains 93 different measures to combat violence against children and young people in 2020–2025. The aim is also to help victims of violence. According to a recent mid-term evaluation, the implementation of the Action Plan is progressing well.

7.6.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has commissioned a study on the reflection periods granted to victims of human trafficking during which the victims can decide whether to cooperate with the authorities in apprehending those suspected of human trafficking. At the same time, it will be examined how suspicions of trading in sexual services are taken into account in cases where denial of stay is being considered.

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.

3.10.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior launched the autumn call for proposals for the EU Home Affairs Funds on 3 October 2022. A total of EUR 86.7 million in funding can be applied for from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI). The call for proposals will end on 1 November 2022.

4.11.2021 | Nordic authorities and civil society actors working against trafficking in human beings will meet at a seminar in Helsinki on 18 November 2021. The aim with the seminar is to share information and expertise and thus support the participants in their work for strengthening the anti-trafficking efforts. Registration for the live-streamed parts of the seminar is open until 15 November 2021.