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25.1.2018 | On 25 January, the Government submitted to Parliament four legislative proposals that together form a legislative package on intelligence. The Ministry of Justice has drafted a proposal to amend the Constitution as well as legislation on the oversight of intelligence gathering. Legislation on civilian intelligence has been drafted at the Ministry of the Interior and that on military intelligence at the Ministry of Defence.

28.4.2020 | The loss limits of Veikkaus Oy's fast-paced gambling games are to be lowered. The maximum loss limit will be lowered to EUR 500 (now 2,000) per month and EUR 500 (now 1,000) per day. Amendments to the Act will enter into force on 1 May and will remain in force until 30 September 2020. The aim of the amendments is to prevent and reduce more effectively economic, social and health harm caused by gambling during the coronavirus epidemic.

29.5.2019 | The Finnish Government laid down two decrees today concerning civilian intelligence. The decrees will take effect on 1 June at the same time with the intelligence legislation.

8.7.2021 | The Government has decided to continue internal border control until 25 July to ensure the introduction of health security measures at borders. After this short transitional period, internal border control and entry restrictions at internal borders will be lifted. Internal border traffic refers to traffic between Finland and other Schengen countries. Changes will be made to external border control as well.

11.1.2019 | Research agency Owal Group has been selected to carry out an independent survey concerning the asylum procedure. The Ministry of the Interior selected Owal Group following a tendering process that began in November 2018. The survey, which will examine the asylum procedure in its entirety, is set to be completed in summer 2019.

20.2.2019 | Permanent Secretary Ilkka Salmi and Finland's Roving Ambassador to Iraq Päivi Laine visited Iraq from 17 to 19 February. They had meetings with senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Displacement and Migration, and Ministry of Justice of Iraq. The topics of the meetings were the relations between Finland and Iraq, the security situation in Iraq, fight against terrorism, and migration from Iraq to Finland.

22.1.2021 | On 22 January, the Government decided to tighten the restrictions on entry into Finland. The new restrictions will enter into force on 27 January and will remain in force until 25 February. The new restrictions aim to reduce cross-border traffic in order to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variants. The epidemiological situation in Finland differs considerably from that in other Schengen countries.

14.6.2018 | Based on a report made by the Finnish Immigration Service, decisions on asylum applications largely meet the criteria laid down in the law. Deficiencies in the quality of interpretation of asylum interviews and processing of asylum applications were, however, detected. It is likely that the number of deficiencies became bigger than normal following a sudden tenfold increase in asylum seekers in 2015 and a need to quickly increase the amount of human resources required for the process.

15.11.2018 | The EU is examining new means to improve detection and removal of online content that incites to terrorist acts. The European Commission is proposing a new regulation to tackle dissemination of terrorist content online. The Commission’s proposal includes obligations on both internet service providers and Member States. On 15 November, the Finnish Government submitted a communication to Parliament on the Commission’s proposal for a regulation.

17.5.2018 | 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.

15.11.2018 | The enforcement of decisions on removal from the country will be speeded up. Certain removal decisions related to public order and security can be enforced after 30 days from the service of the decision, unless the administrative court has prohibited its enforcement. The removal procedure is applied to removal from the country when the person concerned has or has had a residence permit in Finland or the residence of an EU citizen has been registered.

5.12.2018 | In future, people found guilty of certain serious offences could lose their Finnish citizenship. Such offences would include treason, high treason and offences against the vital interests of Finland committed with terrorist intent. The Government submitted a proposal to amend the Nationality Act to Parliament on 5 December.

3.4.2019 | Permanent Secretary Ilkka Salmi and Alexander Gorovoy, First Deputy Minister of the Interior of the Russian Federation, met in Tampere on 2–3 April. This a was Deputy Minister Gorovoy’s first visit to Finland.

17.5.2019 | Hate speech is such a serious problem that the Government must define policies for its eradication. A working group that examined the phenomenon proposes that an action plan against hate speech be drawn up, a centre of expertise be established, and the relevant legislation be amended. Hate speech has harmful consequences not only for the victim but also for democratic society as a whole, the rule of law, and freedom of expression.

11.6.2020 | On 11 June, the Government outlined its proposal that border control will continue partially at internal borders and external border traffic will continue to be restricted until 14 July 2020. The restrictions will continue to the extent that they are considered mandatory due to a serious threat posed by the epidemiological situation. The Government will take the decision on this matter in its plenary session on 12 June.

19.3.2019 | On 19 March, Parliament adopted a government proposal to amend the Firearms Act and the Act on Voluntary National Defence. The amendments will introduce the changes required by the EU Firearms Directive into Finnish legislation. The amendments will enter into force as soon as possible.

28.3.2019 | The Aliens Act will be amended, for example by specifying the criteria for the processing of subsequent applications. The Government submitted the amendments to the Act for approval on Thursday 28 March, and the President of the Republic will approve the Act on Friday. The Act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 June 2019.

29.5.2019 | The Ministry of the Interior examined the needs to develop gambling legislation. The pilot study assessed, for example, whether gambling harms could be reduced by using technical blocking measures to restrict gambling offerings against the Lotteries Act.

25.5.2018 | The European Commission will carry out a Schengen evaluation in Finland between May and June 2018. The evaluation teams coordinated by the Commission will visit Finnish authorities and evaluate whether the Schengen acquis is being applied correctly in all of its areas.

15.7.2020 | The majority of Finnish people continue to have confidence in the police. According to the latest Police Barometer survey, a total of 91 per cent of the respondents trust the police a lot or a fair amount. Trust in the police has slightly decreased compared to the previous survey (2018: 95 per cent). Based on the results, the police have succeeded well in performing their most important duties and the work of the police is appreciated.

4.9.2019 | Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo and Minister of Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson will present themes for Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament in Brussels on 4 September.

20.2.2019 | On 20 February, the Finnish Government published measures to prevent and combat sexual offences in general and crimes committed by immigrants. The package of measures was prepared by the ministerial working group on internal security and administration of justice and the ministerial working group on migration, led by the Minister of the Interior Kai Mykkänen.

14.12.2018 | A new Migration Review has been published. The report provides a concise summary of Finland’s migration-related policies, key legal amendments and up-to-date statistics. It also includes an extensive media review.

4.10.2019 | A third of municipal decision-makers and almost half of the Members of Finnish Parliament or their assistants have been subjected to hate speech due to their official duties or positions of trust. In addition, about a third of the decision-makers consider that hate speech in public debate has increased in recent years. These are the results of a recent study.

28.6.2017 | The legislation on Finland’s preparedness to provide and receive international assistance will be specified within the mandate of the Ministry of the Interior. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on 28 June.

10.11.2016 | Minister Risikko: Finland encourages more EU countries to resettle quota refugees Ministry of the Interior Publication date 10.11.2016 8.56 Type: Press release Finland wants to encourage more countries to get involved in resettlement of quota refu...

5.12.2018 | The Government wants to amend the processing of subsequent applications for international protection. The Government submitted its proposal on the matter to Parliament on 5 December. The amendments are based on the EU Asylum Procedures Directive. Finland has not previously included all the provisions of the Directive in the Aliens Act.

20.12.2018 | The start of 2019 will see the entry into force of amendments to acts and decrees related to the police, immigration, rescue services and civilian crisis management. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes.

3.4.2017 | The Ministerial Working Group on Immigration has adopted the Action Programme for the Prevention of Illegal Entry and Stay for 2017–2020. The current programme is more extensive and covers a longer period of time than the Action Plan for the Prevention and Management of Illegal Stay approved last December. This is the third in a series of programmes first established in 2012.

21.12.2017 | New legislation is proposed for the processing of personal data by the police. The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft law concerning the processing of personal data by the police. The new personal data act of the police would replace the existing provisions concerning the processing of personal data by the police. The new act must fulfill the requirements of the EU’s upda...

30.11.2017 | The Ministry of the Interior has circulated for comment the Government’s draft proposal concerning the enforcement of deportation decisions. The draft law has been updated on the basis of the comments provided during the previous circulation.

11.9.2020 | In its session on 11 September, the Government adopted a resolution on a new operating model for implementing the hybrid strategy to manage COVID-19 in border traffic and travel. The operating model will make it possible to ease restrictions on entry while also combating the pandemic at the borders.

28.6.2017 | Combating of money laundering and financing of terrorism will be enhanced through new legislation. On 28 June, the President of the Republic approved the Act on the Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and certain related acts, which implement the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive and the EU Regulation on payer information accompanying transfers of funds.

11.9.2020 | In its session on 11 September, the Government adopted a resolution on a new operating model for implementing the hybrid strategy to manage COVID-19 in border traffic and travel. The operating model will make it possible to ease restrictions on entry while also combating the pandemic at the borders.

7.9.2017 | The proposal for legislation on civilian intelligence that is being prepared by the Ministry of the Interior is considered necessary and worth supporting. Most of the 65 parties who commented on the report on civilian intelligence published last April were of this opinion. The consultation round for the proposal closed in June, and a summary of the received comments was published 7 September 2017.

31.12.2014 | Uusi yhdenvertaisuuslaki voimaan ensi vuoden alusta

17.3.2020 | The Government resolution to slow the spread of coronavirus infections and to protect at-risk groups, issued on 16 March 2020, states as follows (section 2):

27.9.2016 | Uskonnollisten yhteisöjen edustajat allekirjoittivat julkilausuman yhteiskuntarauhan puolesta

12.1.2016 | Irakilainen virkamiesdelegaatio vierailee Suomessa

29.8.2018 | The Government decided to allocate an additional appropriation of EUR 2.5 million for preventive police work in 2019. The aim of this is to respond to security challenges facing suburbs before problems escalate. The Government agreed the content of its budget proposal for 2019 in its budget session on 29 August.