Government invests in internal security and increases rescue service training

The Government will propose an appropriation of approximately EUR 2.5 billion for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior in the 2024 Budget.

High standard rescue services to be ensured

The Government will propose a total appropriation of EUR 105 million for the operating costs of rescue services, the Emergency Services College and the Emergency Response Centre Administration. The goal is to ensure the resources and develop the work of the Emergency Response Centre Administration. Regulations governing civil defence preparedness will be reformed and civil defence work will be reorganised to reinforce civil defence. An additional appropriation of EUR 3.5 million divided between the Emergency Services College in Kuopio and Helsinki Rescue School will be proposed to boost the provision of rescue training. The provisional estimate for the share of rescue training in Helsinki has been EUR 1 million. This estimate will be specified at later stages of the budget process.

“An adequate number of rescue staff will be required to ensure a high standard of rescue services throughout Finland. The Government is committed to investigating and implementing the measures that are necessary to remedy the shortage of rescue staff. The appeal of the sector will be ensured by continuing to provide rescue training at two locations in Kuopio and Helsinki,” says Mari Rantanen, Minister of the Interior.

Additional funding to combat juvenile delinquency

A total appropriation of some EUR 1 billion is proposed for the police. In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Orpo, an increase of EUR 17.5 million is proposed in the appropriation for the police in order to increase police staffing to a level of 8,000 person-years by the end of the electoral period. We shall ensure that the police are able to recruit the necessary number of specialists to support their operations, such as cyber and finance specialists and investigation secretaries. Swedish-language police training will be ensured. An increase of EUR 5 million will be earmarked for preventing and combating juvenile delinquency. The operational readiness of the police Special Intervention Unit (Karhu) will be enhanced.

Border security to be ensured with adequate resourcing

A total appropriation of EUR 513 million is proposed for the Border Guard. The Border Guard Service is part of the Finnish national defence system and the European Border and Coast Guard. The Government Programme notes that Finland’s border security will be ensured with sufficient resources, equipment and technology provided to the Border Guard. An appropriation of EUR 1.5 million is proposed to increase Border Guard staffing.

A boost to immigration permit processing

The 2024 budget will allocate some EUR 512 million to administering immigration. An appropriation of EUR 101 million is proposed for the Finnish Immigration Service, representing an increase of EUR 36 million from the 2023 Budget. An appropriation of EUR 21 million is proposed for the Finnish Immigration Service in order to reduce processing times by increasing automation, EUR 3 million is proposed for making international protection temporary and reducing the duration of permits, EUR 5.5 million will be allocated for prolonging and enabling administrative detention, and EUR 6.8 million will be allocated for ex-post monitoring of work-related permits and for increasing automation. An increase of EUR 2 million is proposed for implementing a voluntary return and departure package. The refugee quota will be reduced to a level of 500 persons in accordance with the Government Programme.

Impact of the General Government Fiscal Plan on appropriations of the Ministry of the Interior

The total appropriations of the Ministry of the Interior at the beginning of the spending limits period in 2025 will be some EUR 2.3 billion, from which they will fall to some EUR 1.9 billion in 2027. The spending limits for the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior have been increased due to the appropriations required for measures under the Government Programme and other appropriation needs of the branch. The needs for appropriation increases are due to a funding shortfall in the administrative branch, to the non-recurrent character of previous appropriation increases, to significant and necessary investment and development needs, to the large maintenance backlog of office premises, and to new statutory obligations and their permanent financial impacts.

The principal new decisions and changes of the spending limits period

• An increase in the number of police officers to 8,000 by the end of the electoral period. This will permanently increase police operating costs by EUR 70 million.
• A permanent increase of EUR 5 million in appropriations for preventing and combating juvenile crime. Ensuring Swedish-language police training.
• A permanent increase of EUR 1.5 million allocated to ensuring Border Guard staffing levels (3,100 person-years). A permanent appropriation increase of EUR 4 million to cover an increase in basic rent levels in Border Guard operating costs.
• An increase in the number of rescue training recruits to ensure that a total of more than 1,000 additional rescue staff are trained by the year 2032. The increase in training volume will be shared between the Emergency Services College in Kuopio and Helsinki Rescue School.
• Appropriations of EUR 4.4 million for 2025 and 2026 and 5.5 million for 2027 are proposed for arranging rescue training. The final distribution of funding between training providers will be specified after studying the functions.
• Recording arrangements at the Emergency Response Centre information system will be modernised.
• Processing delays at the Finnish Immigration Service will be reduced by further automation and in other ways. The increase for the spending limit years 2025–2027 will be EUR 21 million.
• Ex-post monitoring of work-related permits will be enhanced by increasing automation, resulting in a permanent increase of EUR 6.8 million in the need for appropriations.
• Detention of a person on grounds of public order and security will be enabled, with the maximum duration of detention increased from the current 6 months to 12 months. A permanent increase of EUR 6.3 million will be earmarked for this purpose.
• An amendment to the Aliens Act will make international protection temporary and reduce the duration of permits issued for international protection to the minimum allowed by EU law, resulting in a permanent increase of EUR 3 million in the need for appropriations.
• A permanent increase of EUR 2 million will be allocated to implementing a voluntary return and departure package.
• Overall immigration and reception measures under the Government Programme will reduce the need for reception appropriations by some EUR 44 million, and the need for appropriations to cover the cost of subsidies paid to reception clients by some EUR 15 million at the end of the spending limits period.
• The measures also include reducing the number of quota refugees to 500 in accordance with the Government Programme.
• Persons under temporary protection have remained within the scope of reception measures to a greater extent than forecast, inflating the need for immigration-related appropriations.
• Operating cost savings under the Government Programme will be applied to the main title of the Ministry of the Interior as of 2025.

Inquiries:
Kati Korpi, Director of Finance and Planning, tel. +358 29 548 8513
Piia Manninen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 29 548 8295