Afghans who have worked for the authorities can be admitted to Finland

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.

The Government decided on the admission of aliens into Finland on special humanitarian grounds under section 93 of the Aliens Act. It is estimated that locally employed Afghans and their families may become subject to human rights violations in the future. 

In the Government’s decision, family means family members and adult unmarried children who live in the same household.
A total of 130 persons and their families can be admitted to Finland by this decision. Finland can admit Afghans who are or have been employed by the Finnish Government or who work or have worked for EU institutions or the NATO crisis management operation.

Under the decision, Finland can admit a maximum of 40 locally recruited Afghans, including their families, who are currently employed by the Embassy of Finland in Kabul. Finland can also admit a maximum of 10 Afghans, including their families, who have earlier been employed by the Embassy in Kabul if their employment relationship was still in force on 1 January 2021.

In addition, Finland can admit a maximum of 50 locally recruited persons, including their families, who work for the Delegation for the EU in Afghanistan or for the field office of the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). Finland can also admit a maximum of 30 persons, including their families, employed by the NATO crisis management operation.

The persons who are allowed to settle in Finland will be transferred from Afghanistan to Finland on a charter flight organised by the Finnish Government. In practice, a key trigger for the relocation would be the evacuation of the diplomatic staff of the Finnish Embassy or the temporary or permanent closure of the Embassy as the security situation deteriorates in Afghanistan.

The relocated persons will be issued a residence permit by the Finnish Immigration Service under section 113 of the Aliens Act.

The proposal for the Government decision was prepared in collaboration of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. The proposal takes account of the views submitted by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Defence, the Finnish Border Guard, the Finnish Immigration Service and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service.

Inquiries:
Eero Koskenniemi, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 616, firstname.lastname@intermin.fi
Veikko Kiljunen, Director of Unit, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 350 101, firstname.lastname@formin.fi
Esa Pulkkinen, Director General, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140 300, firstname.lastname@defmin.fi
Jari Kähkönen, Director General, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 295 463 210, firstname.lastname@migri.fi