Finland to receive Afghans, Congolese, Syrians, Venezuelans and evacuees from Libya under refugee quota

Finland will receive 500 refugees under the refugee quota in 2025. In its plenary session on 28 November, the Government decided on which refugee groups would be included in the quota and how many places would be reserved for each group.

Finland will receive 150 Afghan refugees from Iran, 120 Congolese refugees from Rwanda, 100 Syrian refugees from Turkey and 50 Venezuelan refugees from Peru under next year's refugee quota. In addition, Finland will receive 30 refugees who have been evacuated from Libya to Rwanda and 50 persons from any nationality or region who require evacuation in emergency cases.

These are the same refugee groups that Finland has traditionally admitted under its quota. The distribution of countries of origin and refugee groups is now the same as in 2024. In autumn 2023, Finland submitted to the Commission a preliminary notification of which refugee groups it would receive under the 2024 and 2025 quotas in the EU's two-year resettlement programme. Continuity benefits municipalities and wellbeing services counties in particular, as it helps to make the best use of previous experiences. 

In the selection of quota refugees, particular emphasis is placed on the most vulnerable groups. The Government's asylum policy is based on helping the most vulnerable people, which is why special attention is paid to children, women and people with disabilities. In line with the Government Programme, the Government also assesses the allocation of the quota for cultural and ethnic groups persecuted in their country and for persons in a particularly vulnerable position in camps.

Minister of Justice Leena Meri deputised for Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen in the session, as Rantanen is currently attending a meeting of ministers responsible for rescue services in Norway.

Decision based on proposal by the UN Refugee Agency

The proposal for the decision on the allocation of the refugee quota was prepared by the Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The Finnish Immigration Service and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service were also consulted during the preparation. 

As usual, the allocation of places in the quota was subject to consideration and a decision at the national level. The work was based on a new proposal on the reception of quota refugees submitted to Finland by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR. On 22 November, the Ministry of the Interior asked the UNHCR to submit a new proposal that would ensure the continuity of the reception of refugee groups and take into account the EU's two-year resettlement programme. 

The preparation of a decision on the allocation was started again on 22 November at the request of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. This was motivated by suspicions surrounding the previous preparation. The preparation of the previous allocation decision has ended at the Ministry of the Interior, but the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman will continue to investigate the matter. As such, the Ministry of the Interior will not comment on the matter pending in the official proceedings.
A final decision on the refugee quota will be made at the same time as Parliament approves the Budget for 2025 in December.

Inquiries:

Minna Hulkkonen, Director General, tel. +358 295 488 600, [email protected]
Sanna Sutter, Director of Development and Steering, tel. +358 295 488 200, [email protected]