Minister of the Interior Orpo: Finland's approach to migration tight by Nordic standards

This is an English translation of a press release originally issued in Finnish on 27 November 2015

Sweden, Norway and Denmark have announced that they will tighten their migration legislation. The current Finnish provisions and procedures concerning asylum seekers and family reunification are quite similar to those in other Nordic countries, most of them even stricter.

Permits issued for a fixed term and family members' travel costs not paid

Sweden is planning to issue adult asylum seekers with only temporary residence permits in the next three years. In Finland, residence permits and asylum have always been granted for a fixed term for both adults and minors; they may not apply for a permanent permit until they have resided in Finland for four years.

Denmark will no longer pay for the journeys of family members in case of family reunification. The family members of asylum seekers who have been granted a residence permit in Finland pay for their journey themselves.

We are now tightening our family reunification criteria, as is being done in Sweden. The Ministry of the Interior is preparing legislative amendments under which family reunification – without having to meet the maintenance requirement – will only be possible for those who have been granted asylum, or refugee status. Other people who have come to Finland as asylum seekers will have to show that they have sufficient resources to maintain their family; the minimum net income for families of four is EUR 2,600 a month.

Age assessment to be improved and unfounded applications refused

For years now, Finland has assessed the age of unaccompanied minors applying for asylum. Sweden is now planning to introduce age tests. Finnish authorities have further improved the age assessment procedure.

The first screening of asylum seekers is made on registration or during the initial interview. If those registering as minors cannot produce any documentation to prove their age, and there are reasonable grounds to believe that they are adults, they are immediately directed to a forensic age assessment.

Accelerated procedure to refuse entry

Under Finnish legislation, it is not allowed to refuse asylum seekers entry immediately at the border. However, manifestly unfounded applications are processed following an accelerated procedure.

The Finnish procedure is very effective by European standards. Decisions to refuse entry may be enforced on the eighth day from their issue, and they also entail a refusal of entry into the Schengen area, says Minister of the Interior Mr Petteri Orpo.

Decisions to refuse entry that are made following the accelerated procedure may be enforced pending appeal to the administrative court.

We must still be able to help people who need help, adds Mr Orpo.

A tighter approach to be adopted

As a result of legislative amendments being prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, a stricter approach will be adopted in Finland. The family reunification criteria will be tightened to comply with the EU Directive, and the removal process for offenders speeded up. In addition, it has been planned that residence permits would no longer be granted on the basis of humanitarian protection.

Read more about the asylum situation at: http://www.intermin.fi/en/migration/refugees_and_asylum_seekers

Twitter: #tphakijat (in Finnish) #refugeecrisis #migrantcrisis

Inquiries:

Ms Päivi Nerg, Permanent Secretary, tel. +358 50 456 1012
Mr Mikko Kortelainen, Special Adviser, tel. +358 50 301 8334