Entry restrictions imposed by Finland currently necessary to slow down spread of pandemic

On 4 March 2021, the Ministry of the Interior submitted a reply to a letter sent to Finland by the European Commission on 22 February 2021. The letter concerned restrictions imposed by Finland on the free movement of EU citizens in order to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission sent similar letters to Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Hungary. 

The Ministry of the Interior prepared Finland’s response in cooperation with other key ministries. The response states that these restrictions are currently necessary in order to slow the spread of the pandemic and especially to prevent the transmission of new virus variants. The decisions to impose the restrictions respect the obligations enshrined in the Constitution and are in line with the human and fundamental rights treaties binding on Finland. The aim of the restrictions on movement that are currently deemed necessary is to safeguard public health and, in particular, every individual’s right of life. 

The Government of Finland has submitted a proposal to Parliament on measures to improve health security at our borders. These measures will make it possible to move away from the wide-ranging restrictions at Finland’s borders and transition towards more targeted measures that better take into account the health risk posed by individual passengers. This approach is in line with the recommendations from the Council of the EU.

Inquiries:
Matti Pitkäniitty, Head of International Affairs Unit, Finnish Border Guard tel., +358 295 421 131, [email protected]