Proposed new act to include provisions on processing personal data by migration authorities

The Ministry of the Interior proposes that a new act on the processing of personal data by migration authorities be enacted. The new act would replace the old Act on the Register of Aliens adopted over 20 years ago. The relevant legislative proposal was sent out for comments on 17 May.

The new act would also incorporate other provisions on the processing of personal data by migration authorities. The legislative proposal contains the provisions on the processing of personal data included in the Act on the Reception of Persons Applying for International Protection and on Identifying and Assisting Victims of Trafficking in Human Beings, the Act on the Treatment of Aliens Placed in Detention and on Detention Units, and the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration.

It is further proposed that the Act on the Openness of Government Activities be amended to include provisions on the secrecy of documents concerning the migration administration.

New act would complement EU Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act

The aim is that the provisions on the processing of personal data by migration authorities would be incorporated into one single act that fulfils the requirements of a modern personal data act and complements the EU Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act. In preparing the proposal, account was also taken of other national legislative drafting relating to the data protection reform.

The proposed acts should come into force as soon as possible.

Read more about the project (in Finnish)

Inquiries:

Tuuli Tuunanen, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 658, [email protected]

Please note: the second paragraph of this press release has been amended on 17 May at 10.13.