Legislative amendments on removal from the country and entry bans to enter into force

Legislative amendments to the Aliens Act will make the provisions on removal from the country and entry bans more effective. The enforcement of deportation decisions will be expedited. In addition, an entry ban may in future be imposed in advance if a person is considered a serious danger to security. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on Tuesday 9 June. They will enter into force on 12 June.

An appeal against a deportation decision will no longer automatically postpone or prevent the enforcement of the decision. A deportation decision may be enforced 30 days after the decision has been served, that is, after the time allowed for appeal has expired.  An administrative court may, upon application, prohibit or suspend enforcement. In such cases, the decision may be enforced after the administrative court has dismissed the appeal.

A deportation decision may be made for an alien who has resided in Finland with a residence permit based on work or studies, for example, but whose permit has been withdrawn or not extended. The amendment does not apply to the enforcement of deportation decisions made in asylum matters.

“Smoother voluntary returns, more efficient forced returns and stronger national security are among the key objectives of the Government Programme. With these legislative amendments we will contribute to strengthening the security of Finland and the Schengen area as a whole,” says Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. 

Entry ban can be imposed in advance due to a security threat

The purpose of an entry ban that may be imposed in advance is to prevent third-country nationals who pose a serious threat to public order, public security or national security from entering Finland or the Schengen area. These may include known or convicted terrorists.

As a rule, an entry ban will apply to the entire Schengen area. An entry ban will be imposed by the National Bureau of Investigation either on the proposal of other security authorities or on its own initiative. It is imposed for a maximum of 15 years or until further notice. 

The legislative amendments are based on the migration policy entries in the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government. These aim to improve the efficiency of removal from the country of illegally staying persons, clarify the provisions of the Aliens Act on removal from the country and ensure national security in all situations.  

Inquiries: 

Jutta Gras, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 650
The email addresses of the Finnish Government are in the format [email protected]