Press releases

Afghani nationals from insecure regions now granted stronger protection

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:40:01 GMT

Afghani nationals from insecure regions now granted stronger protection

The Finnish Immigration Service has updated its policy concerning Afghanistan, reassessing the security situation of the country and Afghani asylum seekers’ needs for international protection.

Asylum seekers from certain provinces in southern and eastern Afghanistan are now granted subsidiary protection because of the poor security situation in those regions. A residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection is valid for four years. Previously, these asylum seekers have been granted a residence permit on the basis of humanitarian protection for one year.

Granting subsidiary protection or humanitarian protection on the basis that an asylum seeker comes from an insecure region requires reliable evidence of the applicant’s place of residence. Such evidence may be based the applicant’s own account, documentation presented by the applicant and, as decided on a case-by-case basis, linguistic analysis.

Increased number of insecure regions

The Finnish Immigration Service has also added to the list of regions in Afghanistan that are considered insecure. When the country policy was last updated in April 2010, the following provinces in southern and eastern Afghanistan were considered insecure: Kandahar, Helmand, Khost and Kunar, and also the most unstable districts in the province of Ghazni, namely Nawa, Andar, Qarabagh, Giro, Ab Band, Muqur, Waghaz, Gilan, Zana Khan, Rashidan, Wali Muhammadi Shahid, Dih Yak and Ajristan. Three further provinces have now been added to this list: Nangarhar, Uruzgan and Paktika. Violence has escalated to serious proportions in the regions considered insecure, and the security situation there is such that it warrants the granting of subsidiary protection to asylum seekers from those regions.

In the province of Ghazni, certain districts have remained stabler – Ghazni, Malistan, Jaghori, Khauja Omar, Bahrami Shahid and Nawur. However, according to Supreme Administrative Court decision 2011:25, the most commonly used access route to these stabler regions cannot be regarded as secure. Therefore, the Finnish Immigration Service will grant also asylum seekers from these regions subsidiary protection if their applications do not include individual reasons for granting asylum.

Civilians increasingly targeted

The security situation in Afghanistan varies significantly both geographically and over time. Recently there have been no reports of the situation worsening; on the contrary, the number of individual incidents has decreased. On the other hand, civilians and private individuals were targeted in an increasing percentage of rebel attacks reported in 2012. About 70% of all of the violence is concentrated in the southern and eastern provinces on the Pakistani border.

In its new policy decision, the Finnish Immigration Service has taken especially into account the long-term poor security situation in certain parts of southern and eastern Afghanistan. Attention has also been paid to the fact that at the moment most EU Member States are granting subsidiary protection to Afghani nationals from the insecure provinces.

The Finnish Immigration Service monitors the security situation in Afghanistan continuously. For example, there are highly variable estimates as to how the withdrawal of ISAF troops from the country by the end of 2014 will affect the security situation.

Somalia and Iraq policies will be reviewed soon

Also the Somalia policy needs to be reviewed because slight improvements in the security situation in the southern and central parts of the country have raised the question of revising the policy in the other Nordic countries, too. The Finnish Immigration Service closely monitors both the situation in Somalia and the policies of the other Nordic countries and will update its policy if necessary.

Correspondingly, the Finnish Immigration Service will review the Iraq policy at the same time as the Somalia policy. The reason for simultaneous review is that the security situations in Mogadishu and Baghdad are comparable when assessing asylum seekers’ needs for international protection.

Afghanistan review available online in Finnish

The Finnish Immigration Service has reassessed the security situation in Afghanistan on the basis of what has been reported in various sources concerning the number of civilian victims and incidents, the functioning of the judicial system and the general humanitarian conditions. The principal sources of information are the UNHCR and other UN agencies operating in Afghanistan, news services, and civic organisations.

The Afghanistan country review updated in the beginning of the year by the Country Information Service of the Finnish Immigration Service is available in Finnish on our website: http://www.migri.fi/tietoa_virastosta/maatietopalvelu/raportit.

As of the end of March, 50 Afghani nationals have applied for asylum in Finland this year. In 2012, the number of asylum seekers from Afghanistan was 213.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director of the Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Cutting down asylum application queues with lean philosophy

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 09:20:17 GMT

Cutting down asylum application queues with lean philosophy

In 2012, the Finnish Immigration Service launched a Lean project to speed up the asylum procedure.

Thanks to the Lean project, asylum application queues and waiting times have been cut down, and the quality of the work has improved. In 2012, the Finnish Immigration Service returned a decision in less than six months for 54% of all applications. Some 400 more decisions than in the previous year were made concerning applications given a material examination. ‘Applications given a material examination’ are all other applications except Dublin decisions and expired applications.

‘Lean’ is an operating philosophy for work enhancement best known in the business world. The European Refugee Fund contributed funding to the project.

Development of the asylum procedure will be continued in 2013 with the new Lean 2 project.

Swedish Migration Board pioneered Lean method

The Lean method is a production and management philosophy originally developed in the automotive industry. There are two key principles in the Lean philosophy: respect for people and continuous improvement at work. The purpose of the Lean method is to eliminate bottlenecks and overlaps in the work process and thus make the work flow more smoothly.

The Swedish Migration Board was the first Swedish government agency to adopt the model when improving its asylum procedure in 2009. Following on from the positive experiences in Sweden, the Finnish Immigration Service initiated a Lean project of its own in 2012. The Lean Centre of the Swedish Migration Board provided a two-day training course for the asylum unit in 2012.

Smoother asylum procedure through Lean philosophy

The key goal of the first Lean project was to increase the ratio of asylum decisions made to person-years.

Asylum applications are processed not only by the Finnish Immigration Service but also partly by the police and the Border Guard and, if appealed, by administrative courts, and these authorities have been involved in the development.

Part of the Lean approach involves the process being perceived as a single entity, with everyone involved knowing what the other parties are doing. If individual authorities focuses solely on their own field, they will not know how to operate in a manner that serves the next stage in the process.

In addition to developing operations in the domestic field, the Lean project also addressed international cooperation.

Successful development

The Lean project involved improving the various stages of the asylum procedure, resulting in a smoother and clearer process.

A front-loading approach was added to application processing, meaning that the aim is to assign applications efficiently to the correct queues as early in the process as possible. Thanks to this, the applications that can be resolved immediately will be processed quickly, leaving time to focus on the more difficult and time-consuming applications.

Particular attention was given to certain key areas of the asylum procedures, such as interviews and decision-making. The decision-making structure was simplified, and a unified model for asylum interviews established. This has helped speed up the asylum procedure and make it more consistent. Its quality has also improved.

Lean 2 project to pick up the baton

The Finnish Immigration Service has received further funding from the European Refugee Fund for the Lean 2 project. This continuation project will focus on improving cooperation between authorities, on drawing up an asylum manual, and on training civil servants. Another goal is to make it simpler to develop the asylum procedure further in the future.

Continuous enhancement is needed, since EUR 14,505,000 less than in the previous year has been allocated in the central government budget for the reception of asylum seekers.

Further information for the media

Pekka Martin, Project Manager, Asylum Unit,
tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

More reception centre residents look for accommodation themselves, due to lack of municipal residences

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:10:48 GMT

More reception centre residents look for accommodation themselves, due to lack of municipal residences

In 2012, approximately 4,000 asylum seekers, including 120 unaccompanied minors, had registered with reception services. A total of 2,900 of these applicants were staying at reception centres and in group homes for unaccompanied minors. Around 1,100 individuals, more than 20 per cent of all asylum seekers, had private accommodation.

In 2012, a monthly average of 400 persons with a residence permit, living at reception centres, awaited resettlement in municipalities. The number doubled from the previous year, when a monthly average of 200 persons awaited resettlement in municipalities.

Asylum seekers should be able to move to his/her own place in a municipality as soon as possible after receiving a residence permit. However, not enough resettlement opportunities have been available in municipalities. Regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment are responsible for the relocation to municipalities of those refugees and asylum seekers who have obtained a residence permit. The Finnish Immigration Service supports Regional Centres in arranging resettlement opportunities.

Due to a shortage of municipal residences, persons who have been granted a residence permit have been encouraged to look for accommodation themselves. In 2012, close to 1,300 persons found private accommodation independently, after receiving a residence permit (around 1,100 in 2011).

Number of places available at reception centres was further reduced

In 2012, the number of asylum seekers remained almost the same compared to the previous year (2012: 3,129, 2011: 3,086). Compared to earlier years, the number of applicants has dropped, which is reflected in the reduction of places available at reception centres.

The number of places available has been adapted to match the number of asylum seekers. At the beginning of 2012, the number of accommodation places available amounted to 3,169, as opposed to 3,057 at the year end. During 2012, the number of places intended for minors was reduced from 233 to 166.

At the end of June 2012, the reception centres in Kontiolahti, Kontioniemi and Kyläsaari, Helsinki were closed. Moreover, the group home and supported housing unit in Kontiolahti was closed on 30 June 2012.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on reception services can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Vastaanottotilastot

In Finland, helping the victims of human trafficking is the responsibility of the reception centre in Joutseno. A separate statistical review on the matter is available on the above-mentioned website.

Further information for the media:

Veikko Pyykkönen, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Fewer applications than before from the family members of persons who have received international protection

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:45:30 GMT

Fewer applications than before from the family members of persons who have received international protection

In 2012, a total of 21,264 non-EU and non-ETA residents applied for a residence permit in Finland. The number of applicants dropped by approximately 11 per cent compared to last year.

As in previous years, the most common motivation for application was family ties, although the total number of applications based on family ties dropped by approximately 19 per cent. A total of 8,614 persons (40 per cent of all applicants) wished to move to Finland to live with a family member.

The most significant shift in the residence permit applications submitted on the basis of family ties was the drop of applications from family members of persons who have received international protection by approximately 69 per cent (1,515 fewer applications than in 2011). The decrease in these applications explains the drop in the total number of residence permit applications, too.

The main reason for the decrease in applications based on family ties is likely the fact that, due to legislative amendments in force since the beginning of 2012, a sponsor living in Finland can no longer submit the application on behalf of a family member. Now the residence permit application must be submitted personally by the applicant.

Studying became the second-most common motivation

For the first time, studying became the second-most common motivation for residence permit applications, surpassing employment. A student residence permit was applied for by 6,023 individuals (28 per cent of all applicants). A work-based residence permit was applied for by 5,744 individuals (27 per cent of all applicants).

Only the number of student residence permit applications saw an increase (by 4 per cent). The number of work-based applications decreased by 10 per cent.

Most permits sought by Russian, Chinese and Indian citizens

The majority of residence permit applications were submitted by Russian (4,731), Chinese (1,566) and Indian (1,179) citizens.

The biggest shift in the nationalities of the applicants is the drop in Somalian applicants. In 2012, Somalians were the ninth-biggest applicant group (551 applicants), while in the previous year, Somalians were in second place in the statistics (1,918). Nearly all Somalians apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, so the drop in the number of their applications clearly influenced the drop in the total number of residence permit applications motivated by family ties.

Permit was granted to four out of five applicants

The number of residence permits granted has remained on the same level as in previous years. Last year, 17,157 individuals were granted a residence permit, which is 76 per cent of all processed applicants. A negative decision was given to 5,463 applicants.

The majority of residence permits were granted on the basis of family ties (5,748), which represented a third of all residence permits. The second-highest amount of permits were granted based on studying (5,519).

The number of positive and negative decisions varies significantly, depending on the grounds of the application. For example, approximately 93 per cent of student applicants were granted a residence permit, whereas the percentage was 30 for the family members of persons who have received international protection.

E-services shortened the processing times

The e-services for foreigner’s permit matters were opened for those applying for their first student’s residence permit in the beginning 2012. About a third of the student’s residence permit applications were submitted online, which nearly halved the processing times of this applicant group. In 2012, the average processing time for a student residence permit application was 20 days, while in the previous year it was 38 days. Some student applicants received decisions in only a few days.

In October 2012, e-services were expanded to cover work-based residence permit applications, citizenship applications and the registration of EU citizens, which is the responsibility of the police. In the future, it is expected that the service will shorten the processing times of these applications as well.

The average processing times varied considerably, depending on the grounds of the application, which effected how much investigation the application type required. The quickest decisions were made on student’s residence permit applications, while the family members of persons who have received international protection had the longest wait, 526 days or approximately 1.5 years on average.

More detailed statistics available online

A more detailed review of residence permit matters in 2012 is available in Finnish on the Finnish Immigration Service website www.migri.fi > Medialle > Tilastot > Oleskelulupatilastot

Further information for the media

Director Tiina Suominen, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Number of asylums granted increased in 2012

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:39:53 GMT

Number of asylums granted increased in 2012

In 2012, the Finnish Immigration Service made more positive decisions on asylum applications than before. The positive decision, i.e. an asylum or a residence permit was given to 42 per cent of all processed applicants. In 2011, the positive decision was given to 1,601 individuals, i.e. 36 per cent of the applicants.

Compared to previous years, especially the number of asylums granted increased. Asylum, i.e. a refugee status, was granted to 553 individuals, which is 15 per cent of the processed applicants (5 per cent in 2011, 3 per cent in 2010). 11 of these were unaccompanied minors. The refugee status is the strongest international protection status an asylum seeker can be granted.

The 15 per cent share of asylums of all decisions is currently the European average. The share of asylums in all decisions has increased in several other EU states in recent years as well.

Changes in applicants and decision-making practice

Reasons for the increase in the number of positive decisions include the strong increase of applications by Syrian and Iraqi citizens in need of international protection, the decrease of so-called Dublin decisions[1] down to 15 per cent (21 per cent in 2011) as well as changes in the Finnish Immigration Services’ decision-making practice.

Last year an asylum application was submitted in Finland by 183 Syrians, which is 66 per cent more than in 2011. There were 837 Iraqi applicants, 43 per cent more than in the previous year. Syrians and Iraqis were the most granted the strongest protection, asylums and resident permits on the basis of subsidiary protection.

As such the number of positive decisions in relation to negative has increased moderately. The positive decisions have mainly divided in a new way so that last year saw more of the strongest international protection statuses than before. Applicants from certain countries now get the stronger subsidiary protection instead of humanitarian protection. On the other hand, the number of residence permits granted on the basis of subsidiary protection has decreased as more applicants are granted an asylum. The change reflects the patient work of the Finnish Immigration Service started in 2011, whereby the legal evaluation of international protection is being simplified, especially between an asylum and subsidiary protection.

Partly, the number of asylums was increased by the Finnish Immigration Services’ early 2012 revision of the decision-making practice for asylum seekers representing a religious or sexual minority.

Most of the applicants still from the same countries

A total of 3,129 individuals sought asylum in Finland in 2012, which was a bit more than in the previous year (3,088 applicants). In 2010, there were 4,018 applicants.

A total of 167 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in Finland, which is roughly as many as in 2011 (in 2011, the number was 150).

The asylum seekers mainly came from the same countries as in previous years, but the order of the countries has changed a bit. The most applications were submitted by Iraqis (837), Russians (226) and Afghans (213). The number of applications by citizens of Somalia, Afghanistan and Russia was lower than before, whereas the number of applications from citizens of Syria, Iraq, Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina was higher.

The Finnish Immigration Service decided a total of 3,780 individuals’ asylum applications last year. The number of decisions increased by 6 per cent compared to 2011, when a total of 3,567 decisions were made.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on asylum applications processed in 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Turvapaikka- ja pakolaistilastot.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director, Asylum Unit, Tel: +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

[1] The Dublin regulation stipulates that if an asylum seeker has previously sought asylum in another country participating in the Dublin system, the country concerned is responsible for readmitting the asylum seeker in question and for processing his/her application.

* * *

Facts about residence permits on the basis of international protection

Asylum: A residence permit granted to a foreigner in the asylum procedure on the basis of his or her refugee status.
Residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection: A permit is granted when the requirements for granting asylum are not met but the applicant is threatened in his or her home country or country of permanent residence by capital punishment, execution, torture or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. A permit may also be granted where applicant is unable to return to his or her home country or country of permanent residence without being exposed to considerable personal danger owing to armed conflict. (see also sur place situation).
Residence permit on the basis of humanitarian protection: A permit is granted when the requirements for granting asylum or subsidiary protection are not met but the applicant is unable to return to his or her home country or country of permanent residence because of an environmental catastrophe occurring there, or because of prevailing poor security circumstances there which may be caused by armed conflict or a troubled human rights situation.

More than 850 returned voluntarily to their home countries

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 07:38:06 GMT

More than 850 returned voluntarily to their home countries

Assisted voluntary return system being established as a part of administration

A total of 858 foreigners who arrived in Finland mainly as asylum seekers returned voluntarily to their home countries in the Assisted Voluntary Return project organised by IOM Helsinki (International Organization for Migration) and the Finnish Immigration Service.

The project, entitled ‘Developing Assisted Voluntary Return in Finland’, ran from 2010 to 2012. It assisted foreigners from outside the EU who were residing in Finland to return to their home countries voluntarily. The project received 1,333 applications.

“The project’s popularity came as a surprise, even though IOM had expected the number of returns to grow compared to the years preceding the project. The opportunity to return proved popular among immigrants living in Finland; in addition, IOM developed return procedures that are currently in daily use around the country. We would not have been able to achieve such positive results for the project without partners, in particular reception centre employees, the police and other authorities, who have actively helped us succeed,” says Jacob Jørgensen, coordinator of the project.

Return system maintained by a continuation project

The aim is to integrate the assisted voluntary return system into the migration management in Finland. On 30 November 2012, the Ministry of the Interior launched a project for this purpose. The project will prepare the proposals required for legislative amendments. The intention is to submit the Government’s proposal to Parliament during the 2013 autumn term.

In the beginning of 2013, IOM Helsinki launched a new “Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration Programme in Finland” (VARRP-FIN) project. This continuation project, intended to last two years, aims at maintaining return procedures and, in particular, developing assistance for the period after return.

“Finland is obviously willing to assist returnees towards permanent integration into their former home countries, in order to provide them with better prerequisites for living permanently in their place of residence. In the VARRP-FIN project, IOM seeks to pay more attention to the various backgrounds of the returnees for integration, and to offer assistance in the form of goods and services to an increasing number of returnees,” says Jørgensen.

In the previous project, the number of people seeking voluntary return was higher than the number of returns that could be implemented within the framework of the budget. The estimated number of returnees has therefore been increased. For 2013, return aid has been budgeted for 400 returnees.

As with the previous project, the VARRP-FIN project is funded by the European Return Fund and the Finnish Immigration Service.

Further information for the media

Jacob Jørgensen, Project Coordinator, IOM
jjorgensen@iom.int
Phone: +358 9 684 11 529

Pirkko Väänänen, Project Communication Manager, IOM
pvaananen@iom.int
Phone: +358 9 684 11 559

Matti Heinonen, Head of Section, Finnish Immigration Service
firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Phone: +358 71 873 0431

Press release of the Finnish Immigration Service and IOM, 31.1.2013

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), founded in 1951, is the leading intergovernmental organisation in its field. IOM works to promote orderly migration in the interests of all parties: countries of origin, transit and destination, and the migrants themselves. In 2013, IOM Helsinki commemorates the 20^th anniversary of IOM activities in Finland.

Finnish citizenship granted to 9,518 persons

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:56:26 GMT

Finnish citizenship granted to 9,518 persons

A total of 9,518 persons were granted Finnish citizenship last year. Of the total, 8,596 obtained citizenship by application and 922 by declaration[1]. The number more than doubled compared to the year 2011, when 4,794 people were granted Finnish citizenship. The advance information given by Statistics Finland earlier this week is a little different from these confirmed year statistics of the Finnish Immigration Service.

The number of those applying for citizenship also grew markedly: citizenship applications grew by around 39 per cent (2012: 7,865 persons, 2011: 5,632), and citizenship declarations by around 26 per cent (2012: 889, 2011: 706).

Growth due to legislative amendment

The increased number of applicants is largely due to the amendment made to the Finnish Nationality Act, which entered into force on 1 September 2011. This shortened the period of residence required for citizenship from six to five years, which is reflected in the higher number of citizenship applications.

On the other hand, the rise in the number of citizenship declarations has been accelerated by the fact that, since the beginning of September 2011, all former Finnish citizens have been able to regain citizenship by declaration, without having to move back to Finland.

Due to the legislative amendment and growth in the number of citizenship applications and declarations, in early 2012 the Finnish Immigration Service employed temporary extra resources for decision-making on citizenship issues. This and continuously greater efficiency in decision-making also markedly increased the number of citizenship decisions: the number of application decisions more than doubled and the number of declaration decisions rose by around 47 percent.

Processing has quickened also because the Electronic Case Management System for Immigration Processes (UMA), taken into use at the end of 2010, is now working to the full.

Russians still the largest group

The largest groups among those who sought citizenship by application were Russians (2,111 persons) who have been the largest group for several years. The next largest groups to submit citizenship applications were Somalis (645), Iraqis (528), Estonians (427) and Afghans (374).

Citizens of Sudan (199), the Democratic Republic of Congo (153) and Kosovo (150) were new to the ten largest groups of applicants. The increased number of applications submitted by citizens of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo is probably due to the fact that citizens of these nations were accepted into Finland under the refugee quota in the 2000s.

The largest groups among those who obtained citizenship by application were Russians (2,432), Somalis (593), Afghans (508), Estonians (483) and Iraqis (439).

Swedes made most declarations as former citizens

Swedes (234), citizens of the United States (48), Australians (48), Canadians (39) and Germans (18) made most citizenship declarations as former Finnish citizens.

The same groups of former citizens headed the number of those receiving positive decisions. A total of 245 among them (51%) were citizens of Sweden.

The majority of decisions were positive

Approximately 87 per cent of the decisions issued on citizenship applications were positive. Positive decisions on citizenship declarations totalled approximately 91 per cent.

The average processing time of citizenship applications was 381 days (2011: 373) and that of citizenship declarations was 109 days (2011: 110).

More detailed statistical report on the Internet

A more detailed review of 2012 citizenship statistics can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Quick links > Statistics > Statistics on Citizenship.

Further information for the media

Kristiina Simonen, Head of Section, Nationality Unit, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

[1] Former Finnish citizens, young people aged 18 to 22 who have spent a major part of their youth in Finland, and the illegitimate children of a Finnish father, are among the groups that may obtain Finnish citizenship by declaration, which is less onerous than by application.

System of assistance for victims of human trafficking has 48 new customers

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:47:06 GMT

System of assistance for victims of human trafficking has 48 new customers

In 2012, 48 people were accepted into the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking. In the previous year, the figure was almost the same, 52. However, the number of customers in the system of assistance does not tell the whole truth about the extent of human trafficking in Finland, and the number of victims is likely to be higher. For example, not all the victims known by the police and the Finnish Border Guard will seek help from the system of assistance.

Run by the Joutseno Reception Centre, the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking offers help and protection for people in suspected cases of human trafficking or similar crimes. The latter offences include aggravated pandering and job discrimination tantamount to extortion.

Most likely victim: a restaurant worker from South East Asia

At the end of 2012, the system of assistance was helping 94 victims or suspected victims of human trafficking. A clear majority of these people, about 66 per cent, involves suspicion of work-related exploitation. About 27 per cent were victims of sexual exploitation.

The most likely victim of human trafficking in Finland is an immigrant from South East Asia. Of the 48 people accepted into the system of assistance in 2012, 20 had moved to Finland from South East Asia, and all had become a victim through working in a restaurant.

It is common in work-related human trafficking that the victims are legally resident in Finland. The victims who were referred to the system of assistance last year resided in Ostrobothnia, the Helsinki region, South West Finland, and the Tampere region. In these regions, recognition of human trafficking is at a good level and the system of assistance is also well known.

Number of customers expected to rise

The Joutseno Reception Centre predicts that the number of customers accepted in the system of assistance for the victims of human trafficking will rise to 60 this year.

This is based, above all, on the recent increase in the awareness of the phenomenon of human trafficking. This year, the Joutseno Reception Centre and the office of the Ombudsman for Minorities are offering training especially for authorities and organisations that have not so far carried out any practical co-operation with the system of assistance.

Another factor that will probably increase the number of customers for the system of assistance is the fact that, when a suspected case of work-related human trafficking is revealed, there are often dozens of people in need of assistance.

Moreover, any amendments to the Finnish Criminal Code may increase the number of people defined as victims of the crime of human trafficking and entitled to assistance.

Assistance centralised in Joutseno in November

Assistance to the victims of human trafficking was centralised in the Joutseno Reception Centre from 12 November 2012.

The Oulu Reception Centre was previously responsible for assisting underage victims. The number of underage victims has been very low, however, with only two people last year. Centralising the work in one location will reduce administrative costs, and enable us to develop more effective training and raising of awareness of human trafficking, for example.

Help for victims of human trafficking can include accommodation arrangements, social and health care services, legal advice and aid, safety arrangements, and other support activities that the victim may need. In practice, services are arranged where the victim lives.

The director of the reception centre decides on acceptance into the system and the eventual termination of assistance, upon being informed of suspected human trafficking by the police, Border Guard or other official or organisation.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking during 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Vastaanottotilastot.

Further information for the media

Jari Kähkönen, Director of the Joutseno Reception Centre, tel. +358 (0)71 876 3210, email: firstname.lastname@intermin.fi

This is a press release of the Finnish immigration Service and the Joutseno Reception Centre, 9.1.2013

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a serious crime and breach of human rights, involving the exploitation and control of another human being. The UN's Trafficking in Persons Protocol defines the phenomenon based on three criteria, all of which must be fulfilled: act, means and purpose:

”Trafficking in Persons means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons (act), by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation (means). Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (purpose).

New background memo on Country of Origin Information

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:47:45 GMT

New background memo on Country of Origin Information

The Finnish Immigration Service has drafted a new background memo on Country of Origin Information (COI), aimed particularly at journalists.

Lately there has been critical discussion in the media regarding the up-to-dateness, sources and objectivity of the Country of Origin Information provided by the Finnish Immigration Service. This memo plays a part in answering the discussion by providing journalists with a concise information package concerning the manner in which the Finnish Immigration Service obtains information on countries of origin and how this information is used to support decision-making.

The memo also explains how the credibility of asylum applications is assessed on the basis of Country of Origin Information.

What is Country of Origin Information?

Country of Origin Information means up-to-date, accurate information on the conditions in a country, obtained from various sources. The Country Information Service of the Finnish Immigration Service produces Country of Origin Information (COI) especially on countries where asylum seekers, quota refugees and immigrants come to Finland.

Country of Origin Information is used in support of decision-making especially in the processing of applications concerning international protection (asylum applications) but also residence permits and citizenship. Country of Origin Information is taken into account when processing the application, alongside information provided by the applicant.

In addition to the needs of the Finnish Immigration Service, country of origin information is provided for national and international authorities, interest groups and organisations.

Background memos available from Communications

The Finnish Immigration Service has previously drafted background memos for media on consideration regarding marriages of convenience, granting of residence permits for other relatives, deportation, and the asylum procedure.

All these background memos are available in Finnish from the Communications Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Further information for the media

Sirpa Ranta, Head of Country Information, Legal Service and Country Information Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Irregular immigration to the EU is declining

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 08:34:26 GMT

European Migration Network Synthesis Report:

Irregular immigration to the EU is declining

With the economic downturn, irregular immigration to the EU has generally declined. There are regional differences, however, as the Arab Spring of 2011 is still influencing migration in the Middle East. This is shown in the European Migration Network Synthesis Report entitled Practical Measures to Reduce Irregular Migration. The Synthesis Report is based on national surveys conducted in 2011 in 22 EU Member States.

The largest number of illegally resident citizens of third countries in 2011 was reported by Greece, totalling 88,840. Among the Nordic countries, the largest number was reported by Sweden (20,765). The lowest numbers in an EU Member State were found in Denmark (400), Latvia (130) and Luxembourg (0).

The decline in irregular immigration is also apparent in the number of refusals of entry at the external borders of the EU. In 2011, the number of refusals was 311,850, as opposed to 635,380 in 2008. This decline has occurred in spite of the fact that the total number of border crossings in the eastern Mediterranean to Greece increased in 2010 and 2011.

The term ‘irregular migrants’ generally refers to citizens of third countries who have been smuggled across the border or who have arrived with the assistance of criminal groups. However, a person who has entered the country legally but whose legal term of residence has expired is also an irregular migrant, as is a person who has been ordered to leave the country.

Focus in prevention is on what happens prior to arrival

The study explored best practices for reducing irregular immigration. The general goal was to survey measures and mechanisms for preventing irregular immigration in the EU and in Norway. A specific aim was to identify best practices that have been proven effective in combating illegal entry and to study national practices in relation to EU immigration policy.

Basically, EU Member States have two approaches with regard to irregular migrants: removing them from the country, or legalising their presence, for example by issuing a residence permit. In their national surveys, most EU Member States emphasised the importance of measures taken prior to arrival in combating irregular immigration. It is considerably more expensive to identify persons already illegally resident in the country, as this requires the cooperation and resources of several authorities, for example in cases where removing a person from the country becomes difficult.

The exchanging of advance passenger information (API) between transport operators and authorities prior to arrival has proved to be an effective way of combating irregular immigration, as has the use of liaison officers at embassies abroad. In connection with border controls, EU Member States highlight the importance of document examination and forgery databases.

Whether sanctions imposed on persons already illegally resident in the country have any impact on reducing irregular immigration is unclear; in many cases, monitoring and extensive control operations require resources that may be disproportionate to the volume of irregular immigration. By contrast, efficient removal from the country, and the development of voluntary repatriation programmes and their extension to illegal residents, have been noted to have a definite impact on combating irregular immigration in the case of persons already illegally resident in the country.

The Synthesis Report Practical Measures to Reduce Irregular Migration is available on the website of the Finnish national contact point at http://www.emn.fi/raportit/2012.

Further information for the media

Riikka Asa, Head of Section, European Migration Network, The Finnish Immigration Service, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

About the EMN

The Finnish National Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN) operates in connection with the Finnish Immigration Service. National contact points have been set up in each EU Member State, as well as in Norway, which also participates in the network. The network is chaired by the EU Commission.

The task of the EMN is to support policy-making in the European Union by providing up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on migration and asylum. In addition to politicians and government officials, information is also disseminated to the general public.

Among the most important outputs of the EMN are annual reports on the development of the immigration policies of EU Member States and institutions, as well as various thematic studies on topical migration issues.

Finland's national EMN website can be found at www.emn.fi.

Visa policy can be used to combat irregular migration

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 09:08:39 GMT

European Migration Network Synthesis Report:

Visa policy can be used to combat irregular migration

Visa policy can help prevent irregular migration into a country. This is demonstrated by a synthesis report titled Visa Policy as Migration Channel, published by the European Migration Network (EMN).

The study set out to map the connections between visa and immigration policies. The report is based on national studies in 21 EU states, conducted in 2011.

An embassy handling visa applications decides on whether or not a person applying for entry into the country should be granted a visa. The embassy verifies the validity of the applicant's documents, may interview the applicant and assesses the applicant's intention to return to his or her home country after the visa expires. An important part of this process lies in the exchange of information between national authorities and the embassies of other Schengen countries.

The connection between visa and immigration policies, and the importance of cooperation between authorities working under different ministries, are well illustrated by the experiences of the Embassy of Finland in Nigeria. When visa application practices were tightened, the focus of illegal entries into Finland shifted from visa applications to residence permit applications.

Finland is the only country without a separate, national visa system

All EU countries except Finland have a national visa system in use, in addition to the common Schengen visa system. National visas, also referred to as type “D” visas, are used in many countries to facilitate immigration. Practices vary significantly, but in most cases a type “D” visa can be used to enter a country in order to apply for a longer residence permit.

Finland only grants Schengen visas, which allow residence for a maximum period of three months. A Schengen visa is not granted for permanent residence in Finland or for the purpose of beginning permanent residence. Instead, in most cases applications for longer residence permits must be submitted while residing in one's home country. Sweden's policy is similar to that of Finland, since Sweden mainly grants national type “D” visas for longer family visits, but a person planning to immigrate to Sweden must apply for a residence permit while in his or her home country.

As part of the EU-wide study, visa policy was examined through case studies which focused on single countries of origin. The case study countries referred to in Finland's national report were Russia and Nigeria.

The synthesis report Visa Policy as Migration Channel is available on the website of the Finnish national contact point, at http://www.emn.fi/raportit/2012.

Further information for the media

Senior Adviser Mari Helenius, European Migration Network, The Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

About the EMN

Health services for reception centres to be purchased from Terveystalo and Aava

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 05:45:00 GMT

Health services for reception centres to be purchased from Terveystalo and Aava

The Finnish Immigration Service has signed new agreements on the provision of health services for asylum seekers and other immigrants who fall within the scope of services provided by reception centres. Suomen Terveystalo Oy won the national tender, with the exception of Helsinki, Espoo and Siuntio, where Lääkärikeskus Aava Oy was chosen as the service provider.

Until now, each reception centre has independently agreed on the arrangement of health services. Agreements have varied in level, and use has been made of both municipal and various private service providers. Through centralised, national agreements, cost-efficiency, service consistency and level quality are being sought.

The arrangement of acute and essential healthcare, as well as health checks, will be secured under the agreements. The state has a legal obligation to provide basic services of this kind to immigrants covered by the reception process. Customers can reserve health services solely through the public health nurse at their own reception centre.

Total healthcare costs at reception centres vary, depending on the nature and volume of the services required in each case. Health services at a total value of around EUR 8.5 million were purchased in 2010 and in 2011. The new contracts are intended to generate annual savings of 10 per cent, while harmonising the cost structure and improving overall controllability.

In the future, the Finnish Immigration Service will put other services used by reception centres out to tender. In 2013, the turn will come of cleaning and security services, for example.

Further information for the media

Jorma Vuorio, Director General, The Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: forename.surename@migri.fi
Anne Mykkänen, Deputy Managing Director, Suomen Terveystalo Oy, tel. +358 (0)30 63 31435, e-mail: forename.surename@terveystalo.com
Markus Orava, Deputy Managing Director, Lääkärikeskus Aava Oy, tel. +358 (0)50 591 3235, e-mail: forename.surename@laakarikeskusaava.fi

Press release of the Finnish Immigration Service, Suomen Terveystalo Oy and Lääkärikeskus Aava Oy, 25th October 2012

E-services for immigration affairs have expanded

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

E-services for immigration affairs have expanded

The e-services for foreigner’s permit matters (https://e-asiointi.migri.fi) have expanded to cover all work-related residence permit applications, citizenship application and the registration of EU citizens.

In the beginning of 2012, the service was opened for persons applying for their first student’s residence permit. By the end of September, approximately one third of all students’ residence permit applications had been submitted online. The e-services have accelerated the processing of applications, and at quickest, decisions on students’ electronic applications have been made within a few days of their arrival.

Most permit types included in the service

At the moment, the following can be applied for via the e-services:

a student’s residence permit
a residence permit on the basis of employment
a residence permit for a specialist
a residence permit for a trainee
a residence permit on the grounds of sports-related or coaching work
a residence permit for a researcher
a residence permit for an au pair
a residence permit on the grounds of self-employment
registration of an EU citizen’s right of residence
residence card of an EU citizen’s family member
citizenship of Finland.

At the moment, it is possible to apply for a residence permit on the grounds of family ties or re-migration only with a paper form. The forms are available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. The possibilities of expanding the e-services to cover even some of the forms for family ties applications will be considered on the basis of experiences received of the service.

Now and in the future, asylum can only be applied for within the Finnish borders and in person, with a paper form available from the police or the border control authorities.

A visit to the embassy or a police is required

Even when customers submit their application online, they will need to visit a Finnish embassy or a police in person to verify their identity and to give their fingerprints for the biometric residence permit card. They will also need to show the original copies of any appendices to their application.

An application cannot be processed until the applicant has visited the embassy or the police.

Despite the visit requirement, the e-services are the quickest way to receive a decision. Time is saved especially during the initial phase of the application process: while a paper form may take months to find its way to the authority who is responsible for making the decision, the electronic form is immediately received.

Further information for the media

Vesa Hagström, Director of Information Management, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 71 873 0431

Number of residence permit applications from students remains high

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 08:03:28 GMT

Number of residence permit applications from students remains high

Between January and August, a total of 14,946 non-EU residents applied for a residence permit for Finland. As in previous years, the most common motivation for applications was family ties. A total of 5,761 persons (39 per cent of all applicants) wished to move to Finland to live with a family member.

The number of student applicants has risen in recent years. By the end of August, studying had become the second-most common motivation for residence permit applications. The number of applicants totalled 4,688, or 31 per cent of all applicants. The number of student applicants is likely to grow in the future.

Since the beginning of 2012, students have been able to submit applications electonically. By the end of August, one third of applications were submitted online. E-services have speeded up the handling of applications. At the quickest, decisions on electronic applications have taken only a few days. Compared to the previous year, the number of decisions made on student applications in the same period grew by 11 per cent.

Between January and August, 26 per cent of all applicants (3,895 persons) submitted a residence permit application for employment.

Fewer applications based on family ties

Between January and August, 11 per cent fewer residence permit applications were submitted than within the same period last year. This decline is mainly due to the reduced number of applications by the family members of persons who are recipients of international protection. The number of submitted applications was 385 by the end of August, which is 74 per cent lower than the corresponding figure for last year (2011: 1,479).

The chief cause of this decline is probably the fact that, due to legislative amendments in force since the beginning of 2012, a sponsor living in Finland cannot submit an application on behalf of a family member. Residence permit applications can now only be submitted by the applicant in person. Furthermore, biometric authentication, such as fingerprinting, has been introduced in relation to residence permits.

Most permissions sought by Russian, Chinese and Indian citizens

The largest applicant groups between January and August were Russians (3,350 applicants), Chinese (1,148 applicants) and Indians (842 applicants).

The most significant shift in the distribution of applicant nationalities is the diminishing number of Somalian applicants, which has fallen since 2011. Between January and August this year, Somalians were the 10th largest applicant group (357 applicants). During the same period last year, they were the second largest group (1,471 applicants).

Residence permit granted to four out of five applicants in January–August

The total number of residence permits granted has remained on the same level as previous years. Between January and August, 12,244 persons were granted a residence permit, which equals 80 per cent of all applicants to whom a decision was issued (2011: 83%). A residence permit was declined to 3,155 applicants, or 20 per cent of all applicants to whom a decision was issued.

Most residence permits were granted on the grounds of studies (4,289). The second most common grounds were family ties (3,807). The number of positive and negative decisions varies significantly, depending on the grounds of application. For example, around 94 per cent of students were granted a residence permit, while this number was 34 for the family members of persons who had received international protection.

Detailed statistics online

A more detailed review of residence permit matters in January to August 2012 is available in Finnish on the Finnish Immigration Service website www.migri.fi > For the media > Statistics > Statistics on residence permit.

Further information for the media

Head of Section Pauliina Helminen, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

No notable change in the number of asylum seekers

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 07:05:31 GMT

No notable change in the number of asylum seekers

A total of 1,890 individuals applied for asylum in Finland between January and August, which was almost as many as during the corresponding period of the previous year (1,895). A total of 91 of the applicants were unaccompanied minors. The figure is 13 per cent lower than between January and August 2011, when unaccompanied minors numbered 105.

The most asylum applications were submitted by Iraqis (480), Russians (139), Somalis (130), Afghans (128), Syrians (108) and Serbians (63).

Applications received from Syrian and Serbian citizens have increased the most. The number of Syrian asylum seekers began to rise in the summer of 2011 and the number of Serbian asylum seekers at the end of 2011. The number of Russian and Somali asylum seekers, on the other hand, has decreased considerably from previous years, even though they are still among the three largest groups of applicants.

Asylum granted to more applicants than before

The Finnish Immigration Service decided a total of 2,363 individuals’ asylum applications between January and August 2012. Of them, 40 per cent (958 individuals) were given a positive decision, i.e. either granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. During the corresponding period in 2011, 35 per cent of applicants were given a positive decision.

More asylums were granted than in previous years. A total of 321 individuals were granted asylum in Finland between January and August, which was 14 per cent of all decisions. The percentage of asylums was four per cent during the corresponding period of 2011 and between three and five per cent in earlier years.

Asylums accounting for 14 per cent of all decisions corresponds to international levels: In Sweden, eight per cent of the asylum seekers who were given a decision between January and August 2012 were granted asylums (Migrationsverket.se), and in 2010 the figures were 12 per cent in Norway, 16 per cent in Germany and 19 per cent in the UK (UNHCR Statistical Yearbook 2010).

A total of 48 per cent of applicants (1,128 individuals) were given a negative decision between January and August. The most common reason for negative decisions was the Dublin Regulation, and 17 per cent of applicants were given a negative decision on this basis. If an applicant has previously sought asylum in another county participating in the Dublin system, the country concerned is responsible for readmitting the asylum seeker in question and for processing his/her application. The second most common reason for negative decisions was manifestly unfounded applications; these accounted for 11 per cent of all decisions.

Changes in applicants and decision-making practice

One of the reasons for the increase in the number of asylums granted was the considerable increase of asylum applications received from Syrian citizens. They have often been granted asylum.

The number of asylums has also increased as a result of certain rulings of administrative courts, after which the Finnish Immigration Service has revised its decision-making practice.

At the same time as more asylums have been granted than before, the percentage of residence permits granted on the basis of subsidiary protection has dropped. Subsidiary protection is the second strongest form of international protection after asylum. The change reflects developments in decision-making: The Finnish Immigration Service has simplified and modelled practices for assessing the need for international protection and the likelihood of a risk to safety.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on asylum applications processed between January and August 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Turvapaikka- ja pakolaistilastot.

Further information for the media

Juha Similä, Head of Section, Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Riitta Koskela, Head of Section, Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Finnish Immigration Service extends its activities to Turku

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 06:26:18 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service extends its activities to Turku

The Finnish Immigration Service unit handling asylum applications is extending its operations to Turku. Operations will begin at the Police Department of Southwest Finland on 13 August 2012. Two persons from the Helsinki main office will work from Turku, one starting immediately and the other later, during the autumn.

The aim has been to concentrate the work of authorities handling asylum applications in the areas where applicants are housed while their applications are processed. After they have arrived in Finland, applicants stay in so-called ‘transit’ reception centres for the duration of the asylum and interview procedure. These transit centres are located in Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Oulu and Turku. Until now the Finnish Immigration Service has operated in all areas except Turku.

Centralised operations mean faster decisions

Extending the Finnish Immigration Service’s activities to Turku will speed up decision-making, since it will enable officials handling asylum applications to cooperate more effectively in the locales in which asylum applicants reside.

The Finnish Immigration Service’s employees in Turku will conduct asylum interviews, with the aim of doing so as early as possible after applicants have arrived in Finland. They will also make proposals for decisions concerning applications, in cases where a decision can be made after the interview and there is no need for further clarification. These include manifestly unfounded applications, in which the applicant does not base the application on persecution or violations of human rights that would justify receiving international protection.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director of the Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Antti Lehtinen, Head of Section, Asylum Unit, tel. +35871 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Annual report of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 09:48:12 GMT

Annual report of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) published its first Annual Report. The report provides a comprehensive description of the situation of asylum in the European Union in 2011.

Read more from the press release of EASO.

Annual Report: 2011 Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union and on the Activities of the European Asylum Support Office.

Number granted Finnish citizenship more than doubles

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 08:20:00 GMT

Number granted Finnish citizenship more than doubles

From January to June of this year Finnish citizenship was granted to 4,554 persons. Of the total, 4,086 obtained citizenship by application and 468 by declaration[1]. The number more than doubled compared to the same period last year, when 2,220 people were granted Finnish citizenship.

The number of those applying for citizenship also grew markedly: citizenship applications grew by around 42 percent (1–6/2012: 3,708 persons, 1–6/2011: 2,605), and citizenship declarations by around 77 percent (1–6/2012: 440, 1–6/2011: 248).

Growth due to legislative amendment in autumn

On the other hand, the rise in the number of citizenship declarations has been accelerated by the fact that, since the beginning of last September, all former Finnish citizens have been able to regain citizenship by declaration, without having to move back to Finland.

Russians the largest group – one EU country also amongst leaders

The largest groups among those who sought citizenship by application were Russians (1,065), Iraqis (275), Estonians (210), Somalis (209) and Afghans (182).

The largest groups among those who obtained citizenship by application were Russians (1,402), Estonians (284), Somalis (192), Afghans (162) and Iranians (159).

Citizens of Ukraine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were new to the ten largest groups of applicants. Citizens from a single EU country, Estonia, are among the ten largest groups from year to year, in terms of both citizenship applicants and recipients.

Swedes (127), Canadians (25), Australians (23), citizens of the United States (19) and Germans (12) made most citizenship declarations as former Finnish citizens. The same groups of former citizens headed the number of those receiving positive decisions in early 2012.

The majority of decisions were positive

Approximately 90 per cent of the decisions issued on citizenship applications during the first half of 2012 were positive. Positive decisions on citizenship by declaration totalled approximately 91 per cent.

More detailed statistical report on the Internet

A more detailed review of the January–June 2012 citizenship statistics can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Quick links > Statistics > Statistics on Citizenship.

Further information for the media

Ulla Vainikka, Head of Section, Nationality Unit,
tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Marriages of convenience are an everyday reality in EU countries

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 08:00:00 GMT

European Migration Network Synthesis Report:

Marriages of convenience are an everyday reality in EU

While marriages of convenience form part of the everyday reality of family reunification in EU countries, a lack of comparable statistics is hampering attempts to discern how widespread they are, states a European Migration Network (EMN) synthesis report titled Misuse of the Right to Family Reunification. A marriage of convenience is a marriage formed in order to circumvent the rules governing entry to or residence in a country, i.e. solely to obtain a residence permit for a spouse.

In 2011, the number of suspected marriages of convenience varied between 35 and 1,740 in EU countries and Norway. In the same period, the number of negative decisions made by EU countries on the basis of marriages of convenience varied between 5 and 990 (5 and 1,360 in 2010).

EU countries are aware of the fact that marriages of convenience are a sensitive issue, requiring particular care during investigations in order to secure the legal protection of residence permit applicants. Comparable statistics and guidance in support of investigations, and a special forum for information exchange, would help states to control the phenomenon. It would also improve their resources for combating it.

Report arose from EU Commission's desire to start discussion

The synthesis report is based on national investigations carried out in 24 member states and Norway. These evaluated the extent of marriages of convenience and of the provision of false information on parenthood in connection with residence permit applications. Also investigated were procedural models for indentifying types of abuse, and means of combating the phenomenon.

An EU Green Paper, on Directive 2003/86/EC concerning third country nationals’ right to family reunification, forms the background of the study. The Commission has sought to open a discussion on issues related to the application of, and possible needs to amend, the directive.

Economic reasons generally involved

Economic reasons generally lie behind marriages of convenience. There is also evidence of such marriages being arranged by organised criminal groups.

EU countries combat abuse represented by marriages of convenience, by concentrating their investigations in embassies in the countries of origin. There, residence permit applicants are interviewed and the genuineness of their documentation checked. In some countries, the police are able to check the residences, places of work or educational establishments of those suspected of entering marriages of convenience. In addition, information entered in municipal registers on marriages and co-habitation is compared with information submitted to the immigration service.

Suspect's history can spark off investigation

For example, an investigation may be launched if the sponsor of the application has a history of short-term marriages or a previous marriage of convenience, or if a tip-off is received on the suspect.

If suspicions of a marriage of convenience prove justified or the sponsor has led the authorities astray, the punishments applied vary between EU countries, from unconditional sentences of five years in prison, to 15,000 euro fines. In most cases, the residence permit application of the person seeking reunification on the basis of family ties is rejected or revoked.

The Finnish Immigration Service uncovers around 250 marriages of convenience per year

The Finnish Immigration Service makes around 250 negative decisions per year, based on suspected marriages of convenience. This estimate does not include decisions made by the police.

The Finnish Aliens Act includes no definition of marriages of convenience. Marriages of convenience are deemed formally valid in legal terms. However, section 36 of the Finnish Aliens Act states that a residence permit can be rejected if it transpires that the declared marriage was formed in order to circumvent residence permit rules.

Typical causes of suspicion that a marriage of convenience is in question include diverging accounts by the spouses of their lives together, the short duration of the marriage, unclear circumstances related to entering the marriage, or a large age gap between the spouses.

In the main, Finland foils attempts to abuse the residence permit process prior to the foreigner's arrival in Finland. Careful investigation of visas and residence permit applications has been proven to help markedly in combating abuse.

More detailed information on the consideration of marriages of convenience under the Finnish Aliens Act is provided in a previous memorandum drawn up by the Finnish Immigration Service. This is intended for the benefit of journalists in particular and can be obtained, by request, from the Communications Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Further information for the media

Riikka Asa, Head of Section, European Migration Network, The Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

The EMN synthesis report Misuse of the Right to Family Reunification is available from website of the Finnish national contact point, at http://www.emn.fi/raportit/2012.

About the EMN

Ruovesi Reception Centre to move to Mänttä-Vilppula

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:26:06 GMT

Ruovesi Reception Centre to move to Mänttä-Vilppula

The operations of the Ruovesi Reception Centre will be transferred in stages to Mänttä-Vilppula, in the neighbouring municipality, towards the end of the year. The initiative for this measure came from the Häme District of the Finnish Red Cross. The Finnish Immigration Service, which runs reception centre activities for asylum seekers, has decided to implement the move.

The Finnish Red Cross has withdrawn from the rental agreement for the Ruovesi facilities. Activities on the old premises will cease by the end of the year. Families with children will be the first to move to Mänttä-Vilppula, in mid-August, allowing the children to begin school in the new municipality. Most asylum seekers in Ruovesi will move to Mänttä-Vilppula at the beginning of December.

Savings and greater independence the reason behind the move

Financial savings and increasing the independence of asylum seekers are the reasons behind the move. In addition, the basic activities of the reception centre will be rendered more efficient.

The Ruovesi facilities are located seven kilometres from the municipal centre. This means that transport has to be organised to provide customers with access to shops, schools and other basic services. At Mänttä-Vilppula, all customers and the reception centre's office facilities will be situated in town rental premises, close to basic services. Moving the entire operation from the institution to rented accommodation in Ruovesi would not have been possible. Expected savings in rent alone are estimated at over 150,000 euros per year.

The move from an institution to rented accommodation will also ease the lives of asylum seekers, as well as increasing their own activeness and ability to handle everyday chores.

The change represents a step towards The Finnish Immigration Service's aim of gradually switching reception activities from an institution to an accommodation-based model.

Accommodation places in units for minors reduced from 1st September

In group homes and supported housing units, the Finnish Immigration Service will reduce its number of accommodation places for asylum seekers who arrived as unaccompanied minors, by 41 from 1st September. These reductions will be carried out in Espoo, Turku, Punkalaidun and Siuntio.

Espoo's 35 accommodation places will be reduced by 14. At the same time, the Ingas Group Home and Siltatalo supported housing unit will be combined into a single new group home, to be opened in Lippajärvi, at the current premises of the Espoo Shelter, by the end of the year.
Turku's 35 places will be reduced by seven. The reduction will affect the group home, with no reductions in places in supported housing unit.
Punkalaidun's 35 places will be decreased by 14: seven from the group home and seven from supported housing unit.
Siuntio's 34 places will be reduced by six. The reduction will affect supported housing unit, with no reductions in places in the group home.

The reduction in the number of accommodation places is due to a fall in the number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. A total of 706 such asylum seekers arrived in Finland in 2008, since when the number has fallen every year. Some 153 arrived in 2011. Figures for early 2012 suggest that 120 will arrive in Finland this year.

Further information for the media

Veikko Pyykkönen, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

The decrease in the number of asylum seekers reflects in the number of places at reception centres

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:28:42 GMT

The decrease in the number of asylum seekers reflects in the number of places available at reception centres

The drop in the number of asylum seekers has been reflected in the number of places available at reception centres, starting from 2010. In 2011, 3,088 asylum seekers came to Finland, representing a drop of approximately one quarter over the previous year. During the first third of 2012, the number of people seeking asylum dropped by 14% compared to the same period of the previous year.

During the first third of 2012, the number of accommodation places available amounted to 3,169, as opposed to 3,669 in the previous year. In early 2010, the corresponding figure was 4,639.

At the end of April, a total of 3,924 asylum seekers, including 143 unaccompanied minors, had registered with reception services. A total of 2,839 of the applicants were staying at reception centres and in group homes for unaccompanied minors. A total of 1,085 individuals, more than 20 per cent of all asylum seekers, had private accommodation.

Accommodation capacity to be cut in 2012

Accommodation capacity at reception centres, group homes and supported housing units will be cut during the course of 2012. The number of places available will be adapted to match the number of asylum seekers.

The reception centres in Kontiolahti, Kontioniemi and Kyläsaari, Helsinki will be closed as of June 30, 2012. In total, the cuts will amount to 400 places, which figure includes the three discontinued centres as well as the temporary places organised as a result of the relocation of the Joutseno reception centre.

The group home and the supported housing unit in Kontiolahti will be closed by June 30, cutting the existing accommodation capacity by 26 places.

In early 2012, a monthly average of 400 persons with a residence permit awaited resettlement in municipalities

Asylum seekers should be able to move to his/her own place in a municipality as soon as possible after receiving a residence permit. Not enough resettlement opportunities have been available in municipalities, and an average of 400 persons per month, between January and April in 2012, continued to live at reception centres after receiving a residence permit. Regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment are responsible for the relocation to municipalities of refugees and asylum seekers who have obtained a residence permit.

During the first third of 2012, close to 300 persons found private accommodation independently after receiving a residence permit. In practical terms, this means that the reception centre has, together with the person that has obtained a residence permit, worked out a plan for looking for accommodation and moving in.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on reception services between January and April 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Vastaanottotilastot.

Further information for the media:

Veikko Pyykkönen, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

EMN’s first quarterly news bulletin: Immigration to EU countries on the rise since 2009

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:36:10 GMT

European Migration Network publishes first quarterly news bulletin:

Immigration to EU countries on the rise since 2009

The European Migration Network (EMN) has published its first quarterly English-language news bulletin called the EMN Bulletin. The bulletin includes topical information about the immigration and asylum policies of EU countries.

The first issue covers news from January to May 2012, but future issues of the bulletin will be released quarterly.

Topics covered by the first issue include asylum, illegal border crossings and the effects of the financial crisis on immigration. The bulletin also lists the most recent EMN studies, including their conclusions.

Number of asylum applications up in 2011

According to the statistical service of the European Commission, Eurostat, the number of asylum applications submitted in EU countries increased by 16.8 per cent in 2011 (302,000 applicants). In 2010, a total of 259,000 individuals sought asylum in EU Member States. The number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum was also slightly higher in 2011 than in previous years.

A total of 25 per cent of all asylum seekers whose applications were processed in 2011 were granted a residence permit on the basis of some form of international protection. The countries that granted the most residence permits on the grounds of protection were Germany (9,675) and Sweden (8,805).

Illegal border crossings on the increase

The European border agency Frontex recorded almost 141,000 illegal border crossings in the EU in 2011, which indicated an increase of almost 35 per cent on the previous year. The EU’s external borders were most frequently crossed illegally in Greece, Italy and Malta.

On the other hand, the number of individuals residing illegally in EU countries was reported to have decreased by approximately seven per cent (468,500 in 2011, 505,000 in 2010).

High unemployment – almost half of third-country nationals residing in the EU overqualified for their jobs

Only 58.5 per cent of third-country nationals aged between 20 and 64 were employed in the EU in 2010. The figure among the same age group in the native population was 68.6 per cent. A total of 19.4 per cent of all third-country immigrants were unemployed. On the other hand, 46.4 per cent of them were overqualified for their jobs.

Financial crisis impacted on immigration in the EU in 2009

Nine out of ten EU Member States reported a drop in their immigration numbers in 2009 due to the financial crisis and the associated national economic downturns.

The Member States estimated that the drop in the number of immigrants was due to the shortage of work. This may also have impacted on the number of illegal immigrants reported across EU borders in 2009: The total number of persons refused entry at the borders dropped by 21 per cent.

Read the bulletin by e-mail

You can subscribe to the EMN Bulletin by joining the mailing list of the Finnish EMN National Contact Point. To receive future issues of the bulletin via your e-mail, just send your contact details to emn@migri.fi. Alternatively, you can read the bulletin online at www.emn.fi/in_english/emn_bulletin.

Further information for the media

European Migration Network, Finnish Immigration Service:

Riikka Asa, Head of Section, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Rafael Bärlund, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

About the EMN

Need to help victims of human trafficking has grown from year to year

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Need to help victims of human trafficking has grown from year to year

Suspected cases of human trafficking have grown steadily in Finland, as awareness of the phenomenon has grown among officials, organisations and the general public. This is borne out by the fact that 52 people were accepted last year by the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking. This is almost ten times as many as in 2006, when the fledgling system and its services provided assistance to six people. A total of 20 people were accepted into the system in January–May 2012.

Run by state’s reception centres, the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking assists and protects people in suspected cases of human trafficking or similar crimes. The latter offences include aggravated pandering and job discrimination tantamount to extortion.

The director of a state’s reception centre decides on acceptance into the system and the eventual termination of assistance, upon being informed of suspected human trafficking by the police, Border Guard or other official or organisation.

Most cases work-related

A clear majority of cases (63 per cent at the moment) of people covered by the system of assistance involve suspicion of work-related exploitation. Most have been working in the restaurant, cleaning, or agriculture and horticulture sectors. Construction and domestic assistance are also viewed as high-risk sectors.

Around two thirds (27 percent at the moment) of those accepted by the system of assistance have experienced sexual exploitation. Recent years have also seen individual cases of exploitation, such as forced marriages.

The system of assistance can also provide special expertise to municipalities

The system of assistance for victims of human trafficking helps foreign nationals in particular, who are not domiciled in Finland. Foreign victims who do happen to be domiciled in Finland are assisted in accessing municipal services. On occasions, even Finnish citizens by birth have been helped by the system.

– When a case of human trafficking is suspected, practical arrangements are usually urgent: the official division of responsibilities is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. On the other hand, small municipalities in particular, which are less familiar with such issues, benefit from the system's special expertise. In such cases it is rational for us to be present, providing information on legal services or residence permit issues, affirms Jari Kähkönen Director of the Joutseno Reception Centre.

The system of assistance for victims of human trafficking is funded by the state. Municipalities are also eligible for compensation for arranging special services, from Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres).

Services arranged where the victim lives

– Very few victims physically move into a reception centre. In general, apartments are sought from the private rental market, refuges or with the help of various organisations. In the initial phase, support services can also be arranged with the help of the local reception centre: this is already available in Turku, Vaasa, Kristinestad and Oulu, and is being extended to other reception centres, explains Kähkönen.

System of assistance to be centralised in Joutseno

The system of assistance for victims of human trafficking cost around one million euros in 2011. Costs vary markedly, depending on the case – the greater the need for special services, such as psychiatric care, places in children's homes, protected liaison with services or residence in a safe home, the greater the costs involved.

So far, the system has been run from the Oulu and Joutseno Reception Centres: While underage victims have been cared for at Oulu, Joutseno has attended to adults, families and groups. The reception centres have now proposed that this work could be concentrated in Joutseno.

– This would save on administrative costs, since we currently pay for an overlap in two locations. It would be more rational to target funds at working with victims, rather than towards administration, states Jari Kähkönen, Director of the Joutseno Reception Centre.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on the system of assistance for victims of human trafficking during the beginning of 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Vastaanottotilastot.

Further information for the media

Jari Kähkönen, Director of the Joutseno Reception Centre, tel. +358 (0)71 876 0411, email: firstname.lastname@intermin.fi

Press Release of the Finnish Immigration Service and the Joutseno Reception Centre, 14.6.2012

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a serious crime and breach of human rights, involving the exploitation and control of another human being. The UN's Trafficking in Persons Protocol defines the phenomenon based on three criteria, all of which must be fulfilled: act, means and purpose:

”Trafficking in Persons means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons (act), by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation (means). Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs (purpose).”

Number of residence permit applications down by a fifth during the first months of the year

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 07:24:40 GMT

Number of residence permit applications down by a fifth during the first months of the year

Between January and April 2012 a total of 5,059 individuals from non-EU countries applied for a residence permit in Finland, a drop of approximately 19 per cent compared to the corresponding period a year ago (6,252 applicants in 2011).

Most notable was the drop in the number of applications submitted on the grounds of family ties. The number of applications made on this basis dropped by 22 per cent during the first four months of the year (2,564 applicants in 2012, 3,310 applicants in 2011).

The number of individuals applying on the grounds of ties to family members receiving international protection in Finland dropped the most, by 75 per cent in total. Between January and April 2012 only 209 individuals applied for a residence permit on the basis of ties to family members receiving international protection in Finland, while the number was 834 during the corresponding period in 2011.

The most notable reason for the drop is probably the fact that from the beginning of 2012 sponsors residing in Finland are no longer allowed to submit applications on behalf of their families. Under the new rules, each individual must apply for a residence permit personally.

Family ties and work the most common grounds for applying

Despite the drop in the number of applications submitted on the grounds of family ties, this was the most common reason for applying for a residence permit: half of all applicants wanted to move to Finland to be with a family member. Various work-related grounds were the second most common reason: a total of 2,102 individuals, or approximately 42 per cent of all applicants, applied for a residence permit on work-related grounds.

The number of residence permit applications submitted on the basis of studies is expected to increase during the rest of the year and to rival the number of applications submitted on the basis of family ties and on work-related grounds, since the majority of foreign students apply for their residence permits in the summer in preparation for courses beginning in the autumn.

Russians the largest group; the number of Somali applicants down on previous years

By nationality the largest groups among residence permit applicants were Russians (1,049), Ukrainians (388) and Indians (378). At the beginning of 2011, the largest nationalities among applicants were Russians (1,174), Somalis (818) and Indians (456).

Somalis, who for some time have been among the largest nationalities of applicants, submitted a total of 209 applications during the first months of 2012, placing sixth in the statistics. The number of residence permit applications received from Somali citizens was particularly high in 2009 and 2010, but the trend turned downwards last year and the number has continued to drop ever since.

A total of 76 per cent of applicants granted a residence permit

A total of 4,150 applicants, or 76 per cent of all who got their applications processed between January and April 2012, were granted a residence permit (81% in 2011). A total of 1,297 applicants, representing 24 per cent of all processed applications, were given a negative decision. The most residence permits were granted on work-related grounds (1,907) and on the basis of family ties (1,780).

The ratio between positive and negative decisions varied the most with regard to applications made on the grounds of family ties, which included applications from individuals of various nationalities and on many different grounds. One of the reasons for this variation is the change over recent years in the profile of applicants. The most residence permits are granted to individuals applying as a spouse and the least to other relatives who are not members of the nuclear family.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on residence permit matters between January and April 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > OIeskelulupatilastot.

Further information for the media

Raisa Bernards, Senior Adviser, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Increase in number of asylums granted during the first months of the year

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 08:19:01 GMT

Increase in number of asylums granted during the first months of the year

A total of 1,213 asylum applications were processed between January and April 2012. Thirty-seven per cent of the applicants (450 individuals) were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. The percentage of applicants admitted during the corresponding period in 2011 was 38 (503 individuals).

Asylum was granted to more applicants than in previous years. A total of 125 individuals were granted asylum in Finland between January and April, representing 10 per cent of all processed applications. Asylum was granted to five per cent of applicants during the corresponding period in 2011 and to between two and three per cent in earlier years.

Changes in applicants and decision-making practice

One of the reasons for the increase in the number of asylums granted was the considerable increase of asylum applications received from Syrian citizens. The number of applications submitted by Syrian citizens has been on the increase since the summer of 2011.

The number of asylums granted has also increased as a result of a ruling delivered by the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland at the beginning of 2012, which set a precedent for evaluating the need for international protection in the case of asylum seekers belonging to sexual minorities. The Finnish Immigration Service has revised its decision-making practice following the ruling, and an increasing number of sexual minority applicants have been granted asylum in recent months.

Applicants who do not qualify for refugee status may be granted a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection, which is the second strongest form of international protection. The number of positive decisions given on this basis dropped by nine percentage points compared to the early months of 2011.

One likely reason for the drop in residence permits granted on the basis of subsidiary protection is the practice adopted at the beginning of 2011, whereby all applicants from certain provinces of Iraq were automatically granted at least subsidiary protection. This resulted in a momentary peak in the number of subsidiary protection statuses granted at the beginning of 2011. In addition to first-time applicants, the Finnish Immigration Service dealt with Iraqi citizens whose applications were returned by courts to be reprocessed according to the new practice during the first half of 2011. A total of 170 Iraqi citizens were granted a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection between January and April 2011, when the figure was 77 this year.

Almost half of all applicants refused

A total of 48 per cent of all applications processed during the first four months of 2012 were refused (582 individuals). Thirty-five per cent of the refused applicants were refused on the basis of the so-called Dublin Regulation, whereby Finland was deemed not to be responsible for processing their applications. The regulation stipulates that if an asylum seeker has previously sought asylum in another country participating in the Dublin system, the country concerned is responsible for readmitting the asylum seeker in question and for processing his/her application.

Number of applicants down on previous years

A total of 795 individuals sought asylum in Finland between January and April this year, which was 14 per cent less than during the corresponding period in 2011 (924 in 2011). Compared to January–April 2010, the number of applicants has dropped by 47 per cent (1,505 in 2010).

A total of 37 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in Finland between January and April 2012. This figure represents a drop of 24 per cent on the corresponding period in 2011, when unaccompanied minors numbered 51.

The most asylum applications between January and April 2012 were submitted by Iraqis (176), Russians (66), Syrians (53), Somalis (48) and Afghans (47). The largest groups of applicants during the first months of 2012 were mainly the same as in previous years, although the order of the countries has partly changed.

The most notable change was the increase in the number of applications received from Syrian and Serbian citizens. The number of asylum applications received from citizens of Somalia, on the other hand, was considerably lower than in previous years. Forty-eight Somali citizens sought asylum in Finland between January and April 2012, whereas the number was 120 during the corresponding period in 2011.

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on asylum applications processed between January and April 2012 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Turvapaikka- ja pakolaistilastot.

Further information for the media

Juha Similä, Director, Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Riitta Koskela, Head of Section, Asylum Unit tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Finnish Immigration Service considers establishment of immigration centre of expertise

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:29:10 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service considers establishment of immigration centre of expertise

The Finnish Immigration Service has begun investigating the prerequisites for establishing an immigration centre of expertise. Such an investigation forms part of the current Government Programme, which states the need to clarify and streamline statistical and research activities on immigration.

According to preliminary plans, the centre of expertise would collect, produce and analyse information in support of policy decisions on, and the practical administration of, immigration issues.

The evaluation will be ready by the end of the year. The aim is to establish the immigration centre of expertise by the end of the current term of government.

Centre of expertise to be linked to EMN contact point?

The Finnish national contact point for the European Migration Network (EMN), located at the Finnish Immigration Service, is performing the evaluation.

The work will involve clarification of whether the centre of expertise, and immigration-based statistical and research activities, could be combined on a more extensive basis with EMN contact point activities. A preliminary plan envisages basing the centre of expertise's activities on efficient leveraging of the existing EMN national researcher network.

The EMN network has national contact points in all EU countries and Norway, and it is chaired by the EU Commission. The EMN’s task is to support policymaking in the EU by providing up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on immigration and asylum issues. In addition to politicians and officials, information is also provided to the general public through e.g. the website at www.emn.fi.

Further information for the media

Mari Helenius, Senior Adviser, European Migration Network, The Finnish Immigration Service
Tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Finnish Immigration Service develops its database of Country of Origin Information

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:24:46 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service develops its database of Country of Origin Information

The Finnish Immigration Service has launched a project sponsored by the European Refugee Fund. The project will run until the end of 2012 and its primary aim is to integrate the Tellus Country of Origin Information database of the Finnish Immigration Service into the European Union’s Country of Origin Information (COI) portal.

Country of Origin Information is up-to-date information compiled from various sources about the prevailing conditions of a country. It plays a crucial role in the processing of applications for international protection. Information is often required, for example, about the prevailing status of human rights and the safety and security conditions of the applicant’s country of origin, about the availability of health care services, about legislation and about practices relating to the granting of official documents. Country of Origin Information is taken into account when processing the application, alongside information submitted by the applicant.

Country of Origin Information is regulated by quality standards issued by the European Union and by guidelines issued by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), for example. The information is compiled by impartial researchers who obtain the information independently of individual decisions concerning international protection.

Towards a common European asylum system

The objective in integrating the Tellus database of the Finnish Immigration Service into the common European COI portal is to harmonise the quality and use of Country of Origin Information in different Member States. Efficient sharing of COI is a step towards a common European asylum policy, which has been set as a goal in the European Commission’s action plan and Finland's Government Programme, for example.

Once the two systems have been integrated, Finnish authorities will have access to the databases of all of the Member States participating in the portal, which will improve the availability of COI and promote efficient and legally certain decision-making both nationally and across the Member States of the European Union.

In the future, a function enabling the publishing of video will also be added on the frontpage of the Tellus database. This is one of the responses of the Finnish Immigration Service to the demands of its decision-making bodies and stakeholders for access to up-to-date information as efficiently as possible, for example, when there are sudden changes in the safety and security conditions of countries of origin.

The database serves multiple Finnish authorities

In addition to the Finnish Immigration Service, Tellus also serves various stakeholders, such as local register offices, police departments across the country and administrative courts. The database currently has approximately 550 users. One of the objectives of the project is to expand the user base and to establish the European Union’s common COI portal as an integral part of the asylum procedure in Finland.

Further information to the media:

Martin Airisto, Project Coordinator, Legal Service and Country Information Unit
Tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Year 2011 brought a new vision for the Finnish Immigration Service

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:51:27 GMT

Annual Report 2011 of the Finnish Immigration Service

Year 2011 brought a new vision for the finnish immigration service

Last year was a period of renewal for the Finnish Immigration Service. The agency updated its vision and strategy and started moving in the direction of the goals stated therein by further developing its processes and cooperation networks.

The Finnish Immigration Service’s vision for 2016 is “From immigration to citizenship – the leading specialist, partner and service provider”.

– Through this vision we aim to strengthen our diverse role: while we share our immigration expertise, we also further develop our customer service, enabling us to work more effectively amidst a growing number of customers and matters we need to handle, says Director General Jorma Vuorio.

The Finnish Immigration Service does not work alone, but has several different parties participating in its processes. The agency’s new strategy also emphasises inter-administrative cooperation and collaboration with interest groups.

– Working alone, our capacity to develop and expedite the processes is limited and therefore we need seamless cooperation with all our partners. In addition, the Government Programme requires cooperation between the Finnish Immigration Service, Finnish Police and Finnish Border Guard.

Legislative changes were also carried out

Year 2011 also saw changes in legislation. At the turn of the year 2011–2012, biometric residence permit cards were introduced. The reform of the Nationality Act that took place in September 2011 was also significant.

– Since the autumn, it was obvious that the number of applications would increase when the period of residence required for Finnish citizenship was shortened.

One of the tasks of the Finnish Immigration Service is to provide information to support political decision-making and both national and international cooperation. The agency was an active participant in the preparation of the Nationality Act and as a result, matters that expedite and facilitate decision-making were taken into consideration in the Act.

The Annual Report 2011 of the Finnish Immigration Service and the appended statistics are available in Finnish on the agency’s website at www.migri.fi > About us> Publications.

Further media information

Director General Jorma Vuorio, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Migration and immigration – a growing future phenomenon

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Seminar on Future Global Migration and Immigration on 12 April 2012

Migration and immigration - a growing future phenomenon

As a phenomenon, global migration is in perpetual motion. During poor times, the refugee status of individuals becomes emphasised in developing countries, but even during good times these countries cannot employ their large populations of young people, sums up Arno Tanner, Chairman of the Seminar, Adjunct Professor, the Finnish Immigration Service.

The Seminar on Future Global Migration and Immigration arranged at the Immigration Service on Thursday 12 April addresses the causes and consequences of global population changes and migration, particularly from a future-oriented point of view.

The seminar aims to support and provide background for the forthcoming Finnish Immigration Strategy 2020 preparation work by seeking answers to the question ‘What kind of global possibilities and threats should we prepare for?’

“Basic needs are not changed by laws and strategies”

“Sub-Saharan countries are all connected by a humanly, financially and ecologically unbearable cycle of crises and conflicts,” states Marikki Stocchetti, Researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Unresolved problems create continuous new immigration flows from the developing countries, which is understandable, according to Adjunct Professor Tanner:

“As long as security, food and livelihood are the basic needs of humans and their close-by surroundings cannot provide these, the pressure is to migrate. This is a fact that even the best law or strategy cannot change.”

Finland may have a demand for some of these people and, on the other hand, closing borders to immigration might have more extensive impacts. In a global world, states are dependent on each other and migration flows are a part of this dependency. As people migrate from country to country, resources and knowledge move along with them.

“For Finland, the global networks of interdependency are vital. This interdependence is emphasised by the highly specialised nature of our economy. The functionality of Finnish society is based on the continuity of external connections,” states Mika Aaltola, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

The forthcoming immigration strategy is welcome

Tanner welcomes the Immigration Strategy 2020. When the strategy is prepared by the Ministry of the Interior, naivety in the face of threats should be avoided as should too much optimism in how the needs of immigration and the workforce meet.

“However, national interest should be boldly addressed, similar to how it is being done in Canada. There, a person who knows the language and is willing to integrate is given special benefits in the immigration process. Treating immigrants as helpless people who need caring should be avoided,” Tanner points out.

According to Pasi Saukkonen, Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki, both naive optimism and threatening scenarios can best be eliminated with knowledge:

“Influencing, alongside problem prevention and maximisation of benefits, requires knowledge of what is really taking place and why. It also requires that immigration and its consequences can be discussed objectively and thoroughly, similar to all other normal phenomena in the society. This is a challenge for the Finnish Immigration Strategy 2020.”

Although the national interest is viewed to be the most important, we cannot close our eyes to global responsibility.

“Development aid could include routes that would allow the countries of origin to benefit from their European diasporas in the wealthier countries. We should support joint ventures, ideas that benefit both parties and financial aid to immigrants and other investments in the countries of origin,” says Tanja Tamminen, Researcher, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.

Further information for the media

Arno Tanner, Adjunct Professor, the Finnish Immigration Service,
tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Finnish Immigration Service develops asylum procedure

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:29:35 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service develops asylum procedure

The Finnish Immigration Service has initiated a development project for its asylum procedure, based on co-funding from the European Refugee Fund. The primary aim is to speed up the processing of asylum applications, in line with one of the government programme’s immigration policy goals.

Shortened processing times will ease the situation of asylum seekers, since they will not need to await a decision over extended periods of uncertainty. At the same time, the overall costs of receiving asylum seekers will be reduced. This year, appropriations allocated for reception purposes were reduced by 23 million euros from the year before.

Following the example of the Swedish lean approach

In speeding up the processing of applications, Finland looked to the Swedish Migration Board, which has developed asylum decision-making based on a ‘lean procedural approach’. The lean approach is a management philosophy based on continuous development, where the focus may, for instance, be on eliminating overlapping functions and extended waiting periods, thereby speeding up the whole process. At the same time, more efficient use is made of resources and customer satisfaction is increased.

When developing the processing of asylum applications, the aim is to eliminate any phases in which the application needlessly awaits completion of one step or another.

Operations developed in co-operation between authorities

The primary objective of the project is to increase the number of asylum decisions in proportion to man years. In addition to the Finnish Immigration Service, authorities participating in asylum application processing include the police and the Finnish Border Guard and, at the appeal phase, the administrative courts. For this reason, procedures are being developed in co-operation with all parties involved.

The objective is to harmonise the procedures of various authorities in a manner that would benefit them all. Part of the lean approach involves the process being perceived as a single entity, with everyone involved knowing what the other parties are doing. If each authority focuses on its own field only, they will not know how to operate in a manner that serves the next phase.

In addition to developing operations in the domestic field, international co-operation will also be developed. The government programme states that Finland will participate actively in the establishment of a joint EU asylum and immigration policy. The Government also aims to promote closer Nordic co-operation on immigration matters.

During 2012, the Finnish Immigration Service will organise training and meetings on the subject, for stakeholder authorities.

Further information for the media

Pekka Martin, Project Manager, Asylum Unit,
tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

The new Migri.fi will make services easier to understand

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 07:00:00 GMT

The new Migri.fi will make services easier to understand

The Finnish Immigration Service has launched its completely revised web pages at its familiar address www.migri.fi*. The new web pages pay special attention to customer orientation – in other words, first and foremost to the readability of the texts. At the same time as the website was revised we decided to use standard, easy-to-understand language and an informal style in texts aimed at customers of the Finnish Immigration Service.

The customer’s point of view has also been given greater weight in the structure of our web pages – that is, in the manner and order of presenting our materials. We were assisted in the planning by a user panel of immigrant background, and used experts from the Finnish Immigration Service to write the texts.

Answers given before questions are asked

Web pages are one of the most important channels of customer communication and services provided by the Finnish Immigration Service. In 2011 the web pages were visited about 430 000 times. By making the contents of its web pages easier to understand, the Finnish Immigration Service tries to answer all the most essential questions our customers might have.

By concentrating services on the Internet we are able to spend more time on decision-making, and thus shorten the processing times of applications.

The Finnish Immigration Service will listen with a keen ear to customer feedback about the web pages. Texts will be made more accurate and new content prepared as needed.

A spoken version will bring information closer to the user

In addition to their new style, presentation and structure, the new web pages contain technical innovations, such as:

a video guide, which will help the user become acquainted with the new pages,
a spoken version, which will enable the user to listen to the content of the pages in spoken form (Finnish, Swedish, English) and which will be of special assistance to customers who read Finnish, Swedish or English with difficulty and who understand spoken content better,
potential for evaluating the content,
potential for sharing the content via email and the social media,
potential for subscribing to RSS feeds.

We will continue to develop our web pages and introduce new features in the course of the current year.

Innofactor Plc is responsible for the technical implementation of the web pages.

Further information for the media

Hanna Kautto, Deputy Head of Press and Communications Services, tel. 071 873 3169 or 050 456 2020, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

* The web pages will be opened during Tuesday 6th of March. The change in the Domain Name Service takes time. If you end up at the old web pages, please try again later.

A drop in the number of residence permit applicants and asylum seekers recorded in 2011

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:52:37 GMT

A drop in the number of residence permit applicants and asylum seekers recorded in 2011

A total of 3,088 individuals sought asylum in Finland in 2011. The number dropped by almost a quarter from 2010. The number of residence permit applicants also dropped from the previous year. A total of 23,664 individuals from non-EU countries applied for a residence permit in Finland in 2011, which amounts to a drop of approximately four per cent from the previous year (24,547 in 2010).

These figures as well as statistics on citizenship and reception services in 2011 can be found in the statistical reviews published by the Finnish Immigration Service today.

Four out of five applicants granted a residence permit

A residence permit was granted to 17,683 people, i.e., to 78 per cent of all applicants who received a decision in 2011 (80% in 2010). A total of 5,064 applicants, representing 22 per cent of applicants who received a decision in 2011, were refused. The most residence permits were granted on the grounds of family ties (5,798) and studies (5,460).

The most highly represented nationalities among residence permit applicants were Russians (4,645), Somalis (1,918), Chinese (1,501) and Indians (1,498).

The most common reason for applying was family ties (a total of 10,288 applications), and these accounted for 43 per cent of all new residence permit applications. Various work-related grounds were the second most common reason for applying for a residence permit. A total of 6,389 individuals submitted applications on work-related grounds.

Just under a third of asylum seekers accepted

A total of 1,271 asylum seekers received a positive decision, that is, were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another in 2011. A total of 36 per cent of applicants received a positive decision (30% in 2010). A total of 1,890 persons, or 53 per cent of applicants who received a decision in 2011, were refused.

The share of asylum in all decisions was five per cent in 2011. In 2010 and 2009, the share was three per cent.

The number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Finland dropped significantly from 2010. A total of 150 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in 2011, which was 54 per cent less than in 2010, when unaccompanied minors numbered 329.

Iraqis and Somalis remained the nationalities that most frequently seek asylum in Finland. Syrians were among the top ten nationalities seeking asylum for the first time, with an increase of 62 per cent in the number of applications. Nigerians and Belarusians also rose to the top ten nationalities seeking asylum in Finland, with the number of applications from both groups increasing by a fifth from the previous year.

The decrease in the number of asylum seekers reflected in the number of places available at reception centres

The drop in the number of asylum seekers has been reflected in the number of places available at reception centres during both 2011 and 2010. Places at reception centres numbered 3,169 at the beginning of 2012, while the figure was 3,669 at the beginning of 2011 and 4,639 at the beginning of 2010.

At the end of February, a total of 4,069 asylum seekers, including 157 unaccompanied minors, had registered with reception services. A total of 2,771 of the applicants were staying at reception centres and in group homes for unaccompanied minors. A total of 1,133 individuals, more than 20 per cent of all asylum seekers, had private accommodation.

Asylum seekers should be able to move to his/her own place in a municipality as soon as possible after receiving a residence permit. Not enough resettlement opportunities have been available in municipalities, and an average of 200 refugees per month continued to live at reception centres after receiving a residence permit in 2011. A total of 1,000 refugees found private accommodation independently after receiving a residence permit.

Number of citizenship applications up on previous years

The number of citizenship applications increased by more than 17 per cent from 2010. A total of 5,632 individuals applied for citizenship in 2011 (4,812 in 2010). The increase in the number of applicants is largely due to the changes in Finnish Nationality Act which entered into force on 1 September 2011. Under the amended act, foreigners can now apply for Finnish citizenship after residing in Finland for five years instead of six.

A total of 706 individuals sought Finnish citizenship by means of the declaration procedure in 2011, which was 23 per cent more than during the previous year. The number of applications has increased since the changes in Finnish Nationality Act entered into force on 1 September 2011. Under the amended act, all former Finnish citizens have been able to reacquire citizenship through the declaration route regardless of their place of residence.

Last year, Finnish citizenship was granted to a total of 4,794 individuals (5,907 in 2010). Of the total, 4,153 were granted citizenship on the basis of an application and 641 on the basis of a declaration. The higher number of cases decided in 2010 is due to the fact that declarations submitted by former Finnish citizens and their descendants were still being processed during the first half of 2010. The Finnish Nationality Act of June 2003, which allowed multiple nationalities, stipulated a window from 1 June 2003 to 31 May 2008 during which former Finnish citizens and their descendants could have their citizenship reinstated by simply declaring their wish to do so with no obligation to move to Finland.

The most highly represented nationalities among individuals who were granted citizenship by application were Russians (1,609 in 2011; 1,833 in 2010), Estonians (271 in 2011; 206 in 2010) and Turks (159 in 2011; 122 in 2010). Former Finnish citizens whose citizenship was reinstated by means of the declaration procedure were mostly of Swedish (98), American (19) and German (11) nationality.

A total of 92 per cent of the citizenship applications processed in 2011 were approved (94% in 2010). Of citizenship declarations, 93 per cent were approved (89% in 2010).

More detailed statistics available online

More detailed statistics on residence permit, asylum and citizenship matters as well as reception services in 2011 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Statistics > Residence permit / Asylum and refugees / Citizenship / Reception.

Further information for the media:

Residence permits: Pauliina Helminen, Head of Section, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Asylum and refugees: Esko Repo, Director, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Citizenship: Tiina Suominen, Director, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Reception services: Veikko Pyykkönen, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

29.2.2012

Finnish Immigration Service extends its network in Iraq

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:18:01 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service extends its network in Iraq

The Finnish Immigration Service has established a local contact network in northern Iraq, home to the majority of Iraqis seeking asylum in Finland. On its fact-finding mission of May 2011 the agency’s representatives secured the commitment of more than 50 bodies: local authorities, embassies of various countries, the press, politicians and civic and international organisations. The network has already provided a wealth of country of origin information related to the situation in Iraq.

The fact-finding mission and the setting up of the contact network form part of the Iraq project, begun on 1 January 2011 and partly funded by the European Return Fund. Apart from networking, the goal of the project is to develop a system aiding the acquisition of up-to-date country of origin information on Iraq for the purpose, among others, of supporting decision-making at the Finnish Immigration Service. Country of origin information also assists in assessment of the conditions for the safe return of Iraqis. The project runs until the end of March 2012.

In October the Finnish Immigration Service organised a seminar for its stakeholders – officials, researchers, representatives of civic organisations and Iraqis residing in Finland – in which the results of the fact-finding mission were presented, and the opportunity taken to make new contacts with Iraqi associations that operate in Finland. The fruits of the mission were reviewed for the benefit of other European immigration authorities at the Eurasil Workshop on Iraq meeting in October.

Situation in northern Iraq relatively stable

All that has been seen and heard both during and after the May fact-finding mission largely supports the Finnish Immigration Service’s previous knowledge of the security situation in northern Iraq. The situation in the autonomous Kurdish region (KRG) in the north is reasonably secure.

As elsewhere in Iraq, pro-democracy demonstrations stemming from the Arab Spring were held in the Kurdish region between February and April 2011. The demands of the demonstrators included better realisation of basic and human rights, the provision of functional basic services and the weeding out of corruption and nepotism. In April KRG security forces halted the demonstrations by force, the ensuing violence accounting for ten deaths and hundreds injured.

Security has stabilised since spring, with the political parties continuing dialogue in a politically tense situation. During the May fact-finding mission it was observed that the presence of security forces in the KRG area at checkpoints and around administrative buildings was noticeably reduced compared to autumn 2007, the time of the Finnish Immigration Service’s previous fact-finding mission to the region.

Conflict continues in the mountains in the north of the KRG region where Turkey and Iran in their respective struggles against Kurdish guerrillas of Turkish and Iranian background have bombed local villages, targeting the PKK and PJAK guerrilla movements. Some thousands of people have been forced to flee to other Kurdish areas within Iraq on account of the conflict. The conflict does not, however, extend to the principal population centres of the KRG region.

Four governorates and three cities deemed unsafe

The Finnish Immigration Service has updated its application directive for Iraq on the basis of the information received under the project. The directive steers decision-making practices with regard to asylum applications from Iraqi nationals.

Under the new directive decision-making remains as before, the changes mainly involving country of origin information and the recording of practice already applied from the beginning of 2011 based on the decisions of administrative tribunals. Noting the decision of the Supreme Administrative Court (KHO 2010:84) and other legal praxis of administrative tribunals, the Finnish Immigration Service considers the four central Iraqi governorates of Ninawa, Salah ad-Din, Kirkuk and Diyala and the three cities of Fallujah, Ramadi and Baghdad to be unsafe. This means that an asylum seeker returning to these areas would face a risk of being subjected to indiscriminate violence, thus preventing safe repatriation. Applicants from these areas are therefore granted a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection. Asylum is only granted to such applicants if they have individual grounds for obtaining it.

For asylum seekers to be granted a residence permit based on subsidiary protection owing to the security situation of their place of residence, they must be able to give a credible account of their place of residence in the area classified as unsafe. The clarification can be based on oral evidence or language analysis, for example.

The Finnish Immigration Service will monitor the situation in Iraq closely, even beyond the conclusion of the Iraq project, and reassess its decision-making practices when required. Attention in the short term will focus on how US troop withdrawal affects the security situation in Iraq.

Iraqis the largest asylum-seeking nationality

Since 2007 Iraqi nationals have formed the largest group seeking asylum in Finland. According to preliminary statistics, 588 Iraqis applied for asylum in Finland during 2011, compared to 575 for the previous year.

Country of origin information on Iraq is the key factor when the Finnish Immigration Service assesses the needs for international protection and the prerequisites for safe return of an asylum seeker coming from that country.

English-language report available online

An English-language report on the fact-finding mission is available on the Finnish Immigration Service website (www.migri.fi >Country Information Service > Reports).

This press release in Kurdishpdf, 137,9 kB and Arabicpdf, 130,2 kB.

Further information for the media

Martin Airisto, researcher, Legal Service and Country Information Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

550 have voluntarily returned to their home countries

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:45:02 GMT

550 have voluntarily returned to their home countries

The number of asylum seekers is decreasing as interest in assisted voluntary return is growing

To date, 550 foreigners who have arrived to Finland mainly as asylum seekers, have voluntarily returned to their home countries in the Assisted Voluntary Return project organised by IOM Helsinki (International Organization for Migration) and the Finnish Immigration Service. The project, entitled ‘Developing Assisted Voluntary Return in Finland’, was launched at the beginning of 2010. Its purpose is to help people from outside the EU resident in Finland to return to their home countries voluntarily.

Assisted voluntary returns have so far been arranged to more than 40 different regions, mainly Iraq, Russia, Serbia, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

The number of applications for assisted voluntary return has increased rapidly, even though at the same time the overall number of asylum seekers has decreased. In 2010, 386 persons applied for assisted voluntary return, whereas the figure in 2011 was 422 – an increase of 9%. At the same time, the overall number of asylum seekers decreased by about 30% (4,018 in 2010, 3,086 in 2011).

Reception centres and police help distribute information

“The increasing number of applications shows that the project provides a valuable and appreciated assistance for both the returning migrants and the partners contributing to the service in Finland. Our partners, including reception centres and the police, are increasingly distributing information about this option to people who are considering returning back home. This has helped raise awareness of the project around the country, and we have had very good results. Moreover, the target group of the project has expanded to include vulnerable persons such as victims of human trafficking. Returns of victims of trafficking are organised in collaboration with the Joutseno Reception Centre,” says Jacob Jørgensen, coordinator of the project.

Assisted voluntary return procedures have been developed in the project with the aim of harmonising the procedures nationwide. The aim is to make the return arrangements as humane as possible, with the special needs of the most vulnerable groups taken into account. The returnees are paid reintegration support, and they are assisted in obtaining the necessary documents and in making travel arrangements.

Permanent system from the beginning of 2013

The project is set to run for three years, to the end of 2012. It is divided into three project phases, the last of which will begin on 1 March 2012. The project is being funded by the European Return Fund and the Finnish Immigration Service and implemented by IOM which is running similar projects in several European countries.

The Finnish Immigration Service is currently setting up a permanent assisted voluntary return system, which will be incorporated into the immigration administration from the beginning of 2013.

Further information for the media

Further information (e.g. statistics) on the Assisted Voluntary Return project is available from the contact persons listed below and at www.assistedvoluntaryreturn.fi. Media representatives may request a USB press kit from IOM, containing project materials in electronic form.

Jacob Jørgensen, Project Coordinator, IOM
jjorgensen@iom.int
Phone: +358 9 684 11 529

Pirkko Väänänen, Project Communication Manager, IOM
pvaananen@iom.int
Phone: +358 9 684 11 559

Matti Heinonen, Head of Section, Finnish Immigration Service
firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Phone: +358 71 873 0431

Press release of the Finnish Immigration Service and IOM, 27.1.2012

Students may now apply for a residence permit online

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:58:52 GMT

Students may now apply for a residence permit online

The Finnish Immigration Service and the Finnish police have launched an e-service for the purpose of handling foreigners’ permit and license matters. Among other features, the e-service enables customers to submit an application and to follow the progress of its processing.

At first the e-service will be available only to students who are applying for their first residence permit. The rest of the electronic application forms and extension application forms will be added gradually. Later it will also be possible to submit an electronic residence permit application on grounds such as work, self-employment, etc. In addition, the service will include selected application forms relating to Finnish citizenship, registration of EU citizens’ right of residence, and residence cards for the family members of EU citizens.

Not all application forms will be converted into an electronic format just yet. For example, residence permit applications on the grounds of family ties may only be submitted on a paper form until further notice. The possibilities of expanding the e-service to cover even some of the forms for family ties applications will be considered on the basis of experiences received of the service.

You may only apply in person for asylum within the Finnish borders, with a form available from the police or the border control authorities.

Using the e-service for foreigners’ permit matters you may

create your own user account using online user authentication from a Finnish bank, an electronic identity card (HST card), or a combination of user ID and password
submit an application
add appendices to your application
pay the application fee online (as from week 2)
view your application after you have completed and submitted it
supplement information on your own initiative or when requested by the authorities
follow the progress of the application
receive notification when a decision is made on your application (log in with user ID and password)
receive the actual decision (log in with online authentication information from a bank or HST card)
receive notification by e-mail or SMS of any messages received on your user account, such as requests for clarification or notices of decisions; for the time being, SMS messages can only be sent to Finnish mobile numbers.

You may access the e-service via the websites of the Finnish Immigration Service or the Finnish police. The direct address is https://e-asiointi.migri.fi.

A visit to the embassy or a police station is required

Even when customers submit their application online, they will need to visit a Finnish embassy or a police station in person to verify their identity. They will also need to show the original copies of any appendices to their application. An application cannot be processed until the applicant has visited the embassy or a police station.

From the beginning of 2012, applicants will also be fingerprinted at the embassy or the police station, and the fingerprints will be recorded on a biometric residence permit card.

Further information for the media

Vesa Hagström, Data Administration Director, Finnish Immigration Service, tel.: +358 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Press release of the Finnish Immigration Service and the police 3.1.2012

Introduction of EU Blue Card from start of 2012

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:55:12 GMT

Introduction of EU Blue Card from start of 2012

From 1 January 2012 Finland will introduce the EU’s ‘Blue Card’ in accordance with the EU’s directive regarding highly qualified third-country nationals.

The Blue Card is intended for persons arriving from outside the EU and seeking a residence permit for the purposes of highly qualified employment. Among the aims of the card is the fostering of the EU’s competitiveness through an educated workforce.

Requirements include above-average salary

For a Blue Card to be issued the following requirements must be met:

The work requires special qualifications or expertise.
The applicant has a higher education degree and is committed to a work contract of at least one year for highly qualified employment.
The applicant is paid a gross salary of minimum EUR 4,832 per month. This is the salary threshold applicable in Finland in 2012 and reviewed annually.
The terms and conditions of employment comply with existing regulations and collective agreements.
The applicant fulfils the general requirements outlined in the Aliens Act for the granting of a residence permit. For example, the applicant must have a valid travel document (such as a passport), and must not be the subject of an entry ban.

Card granted for maximum two years at a time

Applicants should apply to the Finnish embassy for the EU Blue Card before coming to Finland. An exception applies to persons in possession for at least 18 months of a card issued by another EU Member State. In these cases applicants may apply for a card in Finland.

The application will be processed by the Finnish Immigration Service. A decision on granting the Blue Card will be made within 90 days after submission of the application, provided that the application is completed correctly and the necessary appendices are enclosed. The Blue Card will be granted for a maximum of two years at a time.

Persons receiving a positive decision are also entitled to bring their families to Finland. Card holders and their families will have the same entitlement to social support and health care as EU citizens.

Card joins the existing residence permit for special expert

Up to now highly qualified persons have been able to apply for a residence permit through an accelerated application process. This procedure will continue alongside the Blue Card application process.

It can be presumed on the basis of earlier applicant data that the majority of special experts will not fulfil Blue Card criteria but will apply for a residence permit using the existing procedure. A Blue Card would be issued to a few hundred applicants each year.

Further information for the media

Senior Adviser Jarmo Tiukkanen, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

20.12.2011

Fingerprints to be introduced to residence permits early next year

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:54:40 GMT

Fingerprints to be introduced to residence permits early next year

Finland will introduce biometric residence permit cards at the beginning of 2012. They will replace the residence permit stickers for travel documents.

The amendments to the Aliens Act will enter into force on 1 January 2012, when the granting of biometric residence permit cards will begin. Because of technical delays in the introduction of fingerprint scanning, fingerprints will be stored on card chips gradually. If technical problems prevent the scanning of a residence permit applicant’s fingerprints, the fact will be recorded on the residence permit card chip.

Nevertheless, the card remains a fully valid proof of the right of residence until its date of expiry.

Fingerprints taken from all persons over 6 years of age

In practice the reform means that all residence permit applicants and asylum seekers who are older than 6 years will have prints taken of all their fingers to be recorded in the Register of Aliens. Fingerprints will be taken again when applying for permit extensions and permanent residence permits, and a new card will be issued each time.

Biometric identifiers stored on the residence permit card chip include a facial image and two fingerprints. The residence permit card is not an official identity card.

Recording biometric identifiers on the residence permit will help to prevent malpractice by creating a more reliable connection between the residence permit holder and the permit itself. The changes are based on an EU Regulation issued in 2008.

Application must be submitted in person

The amendments to the Aliens Act mean that from the beginning of 2012 residence permit applications must be submitted in person. A family member resident in Finland (sponsor) or an employer will no longer be able to submit an application on behalf of the applicant.

In addition, the work permit unit of the Employment and Economic Development Office will be removed from among the offices where residence permit applications can be submitted, although the units will continue to play a part in the decision-making concerning employees’ residence permit applications.

As before, the first residence permit is to be applied for at a Finnish mission abroad. A residence permit card should be collected from the same place where the application was submitted.

All applications for new permits to the Finnish police

After the New Year, applications for residence permit extensions and permanent residence permits can only be submitted at a Finnish police station. Similarly, if a residence permit card is lost or stolen, a new card can be applied for at the Finnish police. The police will also make decisions on all permit extensions and re-applications.

Persons with a valid residence permit sticker affixed to their passports will not need to change the sticker for a card. A residence permit card must nevertheless be applied for without delay as soon as the passport expires.

Pending applications in Finland also to be complemented in the New Year

Persons who have submitted their residence permit applications in Finland before 1 January 2012, but who have not received the decision by the end of 2011, must visit the police station to have fingerprints taken to complement the application.

When the matter is taken up for processing the Finnish Immigration Service and the police will send their clients a letter requesting supplementary information. The letter gives instructions on when and to which police station applicants should go to complete their applications.

Applications submitted to Finnish missions abroad are not supplemented

Applications submitted to Finnish missions abroad before 1 January 2012 need not to be supplemented even in the absence of a decision before the New Year. Fingerprints will be taken at the missions for applications submitted from the beginning of 2012 only. Persons applying for a residence permit while abroad may be granted a residence permit card without fingerprints until the end of the transition period, which expires on 20 May 2012.

However, a residence permit application submitted abroad may be supplemented by the applicant in case he or she visits the mission for an interview or some other reason.

Further information for the media

Finnish Immigration Service, Immigration Unit, Head of Section Anna Hyppönen, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

National Police Board, Licence Administration Unit, Chief Superintendent Teemu Mikkola tel. +358 50 399 9352, e-mail: teemu.mikkola@poliisi.fi

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Unit for Passports and Visas, Counsellor Vesa Häkkinen, tel. +358 40 726 1379

Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Senior Adviser Olli Sorainen, tel. +358 10 604 8022, e-mail: olli.sorainen@tem.fi

Press release of the Finnish Immigration Service, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the police and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy 19.12.2011

Student residence permit applications up by one fifth

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:18:55 GMT

Student residence permit applications up by one fifth

A total of 18,327 Finnish residence permit applications were submitted by foreigners from non-EU countries during January–September 2011, approximately two per cent more than for the corresponding period in 2010 (18,025 applicants).

A significant change compared to the same period last year is the growth in the number of student residence permit applications. Permits were sought by 4,840 students during January–September 2011, an increase of 18 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Factors influencing the growth in student residence permit applications include the internationalisation plans and objectives of institutes of higher education that have been making the headlines in recent years.

Majority of applications for family members and students

Applications on the basis of family ties (43 per cent) and student applications (27 per cent) made up the majority of applications submitted. As last year, most of the applications were submitted by Russians, Somalis, Chinese and Indians.

The most notable change in 2010 was the sizeable increase in the number of applications submitted by Somalis, totalling 3,986. This year the number will be significantly less, with 1,587 applications having been submitted during January–September.

Four out of five decisions were positive

A total of 17,055 decisions on residence permit applications were made. Residence permits were granted to 13,551 persons, equating to 82 per cent of those receiving decisions. The number of decisions varied according to the grounds for application. For example, residence permits on the basis of family ties were granted to 70 per cent of those applying, whereas 93 per cent of applicants for a permit on the basis of studies received a positive decision.

The overall number of permits granted remained at the level of previous years.

More detailed statistical reports on the Internet

A more detailed report on residence permit issues during January–September 2011 can be found in Finnish on the Finnish Immigration Service website at www.migri.fi > Tilastot > Oleskelulupa.

Further information for the media

Heikki Taskinen, Director, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi or

Anna Hyppönen, Head of Section, Immigration Unit , tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

29.11.2011

"Paperisilta” (“paper bridge”) brings the joy of the theatre to reception centres

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:54:50 GMT

“Paperisilta” (“paper bridge”) brings the joy of the theatre to reception centres

The National Theatre’s Touring Stage will begin a tour of reception centres for asylum seekers from 6 December, Finnish Independence Day.

The Vastaanotto (“Reception”) project began in spring 2011 and will continue for more than a year. The project is being implemented in three phases: field activity, Paperiankkuri (“Paper Anchor”) performed on the Small Stage at the National Theatre, and Paperisilta, which will be performed on a nationwide tour of the reception centres. The background to the project is the observation that reception centres are clearly the most deprived of all Finland’s institutions in terms of cultural provision. Why is this? What are the challenges faced by professional Finnish performers when encountering asylum seekers from various countries and putting on performances in reception centres? The Vastaanotto project is a conscious gesture on behalf of the National Theatre in support of the encounter between immigrants and the majority population.

Paperisilta is a tour performance combining movement, singing, music and theatre. The aim is to bring experiences of joy and beauty and a sense of focus into everyday life in the reception centre. The performance can be enjoyed without any understanding of Finnish. Paperisilta lasts for about half an hour, after which the performers and staff set off discussion on the feelings and ideas awakened by the performance.

The Paperisilta performers are Nina Hyvärinen (dancer), Jussi Lehtonen (actor) and Mikko Perkola (musician). The performance is directed by Hanna Brotherus, who also designed the choreography. Music and sound design is by Sanna Salmenkallio and Mikko Perkola, dramaturgy by Taija Helminen, and visual design by Katri Rentto.

For the duration of the performance activities will be arranged for reception centre residents under 10 years of age. Paperihiiri (Paper Mouse) is a workshop-type performance based on the native American Indian tale of courage, “Jumping Mouse”, and on tales told by child asylum seekers. The performance begins interactively, with silent audience participation through theatrical expression, rhythm and music. Responsibility for Paperihiiri alternates between theatre educator-actors Mirjami Heikkinen and Elisa Salo.

Tour starts from Helsinki on 6 December

The Paperisilta tour starts with three performances in Helsinki. The premiere will be on 6 December at the Kyläsaari reception centre, followed by a performance at the Kallio reception centre on 8 December and at the Punavuori reception centre on 9 December.

The Touring Stage then moves on to Kotka for 19–20 December and Siuntio for 21 December, with the turn of the other reception centres coming in 2012. The dates for these performances are listed at the end of this bulletin. Performances will be notified nearer the time to the local press for the relevant area.

The Finnish Immigration Service and the National Theatre in a new form of cooperation

The National Theatre’s Touring Stage performances are the result of broad cooperation among various authorities and expert bodies and the staff and residents of the venues to be visited. The Finnish Immigration Service, which directs the reception of asylum seekers nationally, also provides financial support for the Paperisilta tour in addition to other forms of cooperation. This means that all reception centres and group homes for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers will have the opportunity of staging this performance for the entertainment of their residents.

Finland currently has 22 reception centres and 20 asylum units for minors. These premises accommodate around 4,000 asylum seekers, of whom around 200 are unaccompanied minors.

The Vastaanotto project is implemented through cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross and the Central Union for Child Welfare.

Tour timetable

2011

6 Dec Helsinki, Kyläsaari, premiere

8 Dec Helsinki, Kallio

9 Dec Helsinki, Punavuori

19 Dec Kotka

20 Dec Kotka

21 Dec Siuntio

2012

11 Jan Kontioniemi

12 Jan Kontiolahti

13 Jan Kontiolahti

14 Jan Helsinki, Metsälä

14 Feb Espoo

15 Feb Turku

16 Feb Turku

17 Feb Vaasa

20 Feb Espoo

23 Feb Rovaniemi

24 Feb Kemi

5 Mar Lammi

6 Mar Ruovesi

15 Mar Punkalaidun

16 Mar Punkalaidun

19 Mar Pietarsaari

20 Mar Oravainen

21 Mar Oravainen

27 Mar Ruukki

28 Mar Oulu

29 Mar Oulu

30 Mar Oulu, Pudasjärvi

Paperisilta will be performed at the Kajaani reception centre in spring 2012 during Kajaani Poetry Week, and at the Joutseno and Kristiinankaupunki reception centres during autumn 2012.

Bulletin issued by the Finnish Immigration Service and the Finnish National Theatre 29.11.2011

Asylum seekers still a third fewer compared to last year

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:25:05 GMT

Asylum seekers still a third fewer compared to last year

Between January and September this year a total of 2,217 persons, including 120 unaccompanied minors, sought asylum in Finland. The total is 31 per cent less than for the corresponding period last year, when 3,203 applicants arrived.

Numbers have increased slightly since spring. The limit of 300 seekers was exceeded for the first time this year in September as 327 persons sought asylum within a month.

The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that the total number of asylum seekers for the year will exceed 3,000 if the current tempo goes on. This compares with the total for 2010 of 4,018.

Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and Russia the main countries of origin

Between January and September the majority of asylum applications were submitted by Iraqis (436), Somalis (255), Afghans (242) and Russians (227). Syria is a newcomer in the top ten countries of origin, with 58 Syrians having applied for asylum by the end of September.

Most notable is the decline in the number of asylum applications submitted by EU citizens during this period, with fewer than 50 applications involving Bulgarians and Romanians. Last year citizens of both countries featured among the top ten applicant nationalities.

More than a third of those receiving a decision were allowed to remain in Finland
For the present, statistics of decisions on asylum are available only between January and August of this year. During that time decisions on asylum were issued to 2,360 persons. Thirty-five per cent of the applicants (836 persons) received a positive decision, that is, were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. Of the positive decisions issued, 69 per cent were for unaccompanied minors.

Asylum was granted to a hundred persons, one of them an unaccompanied minor.

Fifty-five per cent (1,291 persons) received a negative decision. The share of Dublin decisions[1] in all decisions was 21 per cent.

More detailed statistical report on the Internet

A more detailed statistical report of asylum issues covering January to August 2011 and statistical tables of asylum seekers between January and September can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Statistics > Asylum and refugees.

Statistics on decisions on asylum according to the situation in the end of September will be published on the website during this week.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director, Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

[1]In the case of a Dublin decision, the application is not handled in Finland; instead, the applicant is turned back to the country responsible for the case concerned. The principle of the Dublin system followed in the EU countries as well as in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland is that an asylum application is only handled in one contracting state. If an asylum seeker has previously sought asylum in another country participating in the Dublin system, the country concerned is obliged to re-accept the asylum seeker and process his/her application.

4.10.2011

Finnish citizenship granted to 2,268 persons during first half-year

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 07:23:10 GMT

Finnish citizenship granted to 2,268 persons during first half-year

From January to June of this year Finnish citizenship was granted to 2,268 persons. Of the total, 1,963 obtained citizenship by application and 305 by declaration.

A total of 2,602 persons applied for citizenship during the six-month period (2010: 2,317). As with the previous year, the largest applicant groups were Russians (671) and Somalis (160). The largest groups among those who obtained citizenship by application were Russians (731), Estonians (106) and Turks (93).

A new large applicant group was formed by citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Citizens of one EU Member State, Estonia, also continue to feature among the ten largest groups of applicant nationalities. A total of 112 Estonians applied for Finnish citizenship during the first half of 2011 (2010: 79).

Citizenship by declaration accounted for 258 applicants during this period (2010: 293). Young people aged 18 to 22 who have spent a major part of their youth in Finland and the illegitimate children of Finnish fathers are among the groups that may obtain Finnish citizenship by using the declaration method, which is less onerous than the application method.

The majority of decisions were positive

Approximately 94 per cent of the decisions issued on citizenship applications during the first half-year of 2011 were positive (2010: 93%), while positive decisions on citizenship by declaration totalled approximately 95 per cent (2010: 98%).

Notably fewer applications for citizenship by declaration (321) were resolved during this period than for the corresponding six months of the previous year (2010: 1,574), when declarations submitted by former Finnish citizens and their descendants were still being decided upon. The Nationality Act allowing multiple nationality, which entered into force in June 2003, had offered them the opportunity to seek Finnish citizenship between 1 June 2003 and 31 May 2008 using the declaration method which contained no obligation to move to Finland.

More detailed analyses on the Internet

A more detailed review of the January–June 2011 citizenship statistics may be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi > Statistics > Citizenship.

Further information for the media

Tiina Suominen, Director, Nationality Unit, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

5.9.2011

Finnish Nationality Act to change on 1 September 2011

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 07:22:38 GMT

Finnish Nationality Act to change on 1 September 2011

The Finnish Nationality Act will change on 1 September 2011. The purpose of the amended Act is to make it more flexible to gain citizenship. The most significant change is to the residential period requirement.

Former Finnish citizens can now regain their lost citizenship by simply filing a declaration, and residence in Finland is not required. The declaration process does not apply to the descendants of former Finnish citizens.

The Finnish Immigration Service anticipates that the number of citizenship declarations by former Finnish citizens will increase immediately this autumn. Also the number of citizenship applications is expected to increase, with a short delay, from the beginning of 2012.

Shorter residential period requirement, language skills an advantage

The period of residence in Finland required for citizenship will come down from 6 years to 5 years, assuming that the period of residence is uninterrupted. Moreover, any person who has lived in Finland for 4 years and can demonstrate sufficient command of Finnish or Swedish can obtain Finnish citizenship.

Any person who has lived in Finland for a total of 7 years after his/her 15th birthday is also eligible for citizenship (accumulated period or residence; formerly 8 years). Of these 7 years, the person must have lived in Finland for the last 2 years without interruption.

Half of the period of residence under a temporary residence permit (B permit) will be taken into account in calculating the period of residence without interruption. A person living in Finland on a continuous residence permit must have lived here for at least one year to be eligible.

Language skills requirement revised

Persons using sign language are no longer required to have skills in written Finnish or Swedish – satisfactory proficiency in Finnish or Finnish-Swedish sign language will be sufficient.

There are now more ways of demonstrating language skills, as all competence-based qualifications (vocational qualifications provided for by law) completed in Finnish or Swedish are now accepted as proof of competence in that language (Vocational Adult Education Act 631/1998).

The following are no longer accepted as proof of language competence:

15 credits of university-level studies in Finnish or Swedish (only a satisfactorily completed examination in ‘Finnish/Swedish for civil servants’, or a maturity examination completed in Finnish or Swedish, will be accepted),
university-level studies abroad,
an authorised translator’s certificate, or
studies in Sweden.

Petty fines no longer matter

As of the beginning of September, petty fines are no longer taken into account in determining whether a person is eligible for citizenship. An applicant under a conditional sentence or subject to a restraining order cannot be granted citizenship until these have expired.

Simpler citizenship application for children

An application for citizenship on behalf of a child can now be filed not only by a guardian but also by a trustee. Citizenship can be granted to a child even in cases where the child is not living with his/her guardian or trustee and in cases where the guardian or trustee is not a Finnish citizen himself/herself. However, there must be compelling reasons for granting citizenship in such cases, and this will be assessed from the perspective of the child’s best interests.

Permanent declaration procedure for former citizens

Under the new Act, a former Finnish citizen may be granted citizenship by declaration irrespective of whether he/she lives in Finland or abroad. Former Finnish citizenship is the only requirement for regaining Finnish citizenship by declaration.

However, the declaration option does not apply to people who originally lost their Finnish citizenship due to annulment of paternity. The declaration option also does not apply to people who originally lost their Finnish citizenship because they provided incorrect information to the authorities or concealed information when applying. A person in this position can apply to have citizenship restored by application.

The declaration process does not affect the descendants of former Finnish citizens who are of age.

The Act will be applied as of 1 September to all applications, including pending ones

The new Act will be applied as of 1 September 2011 to all applications, even those that were filed before the Act entered into force.

However, the good character requirement and language skills requirement in the previous version of the Act shall be applied if they are more advantageous for the applicant.

Further information for the media:

Tiina Suominen, Director, Nationality Unit tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

18.8.2011

Finnish Immigration Service participates in the development of Greece's asylum system

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:22:07 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service participates in the development of Greece's asylum system

Experts from the Finnish Immigration Service have been selected in the support group assembled by The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) to help Greece develop its asylum system so that it will comply with EU directives and reach the same level with the systems of other EU member states.

Senior Adviser Veikko Pyykkönen from the Immigration Service's reception unit is assigned to provide expert assistance in the planning, establishment and management of a detention centre and the initial training of the centre's staff. His Greek assignment will last from 28 June until 27 July 2011. Pyykkönen was involved in the establishment of a detention centre in Finland in the early 2000s, starting from the law preparation phase. The first Finnish detention centre was inaugurated in July 2002. At first, it was located in the premises of the Katajanokka prison in Helsinki, but in December 2004 it moved to the current premises in the Metsälä district of Helsinki.

Senior Adviser Marja Nevalainen from the Immigration Service's asylum unit will travel to Greece for a week as of 5 July. Her expertise will be utilised in the development of asylum processes, particularly those related to the identification of asylum seekers who are in a vulnerable position and the specifics of unaccompanied minors asylum seekers.

The European Asylum Support Office held its constitutive meeting on Malta in the beginning of 2011. Its tasks include promoting asylum-related co-operation and information exchange between EU countries and maintaining expert networks that can assist the member states in the development of national asylum and reception systems.

Finland's representative in EASO's Management Board is Jorma Vuorio, Director General of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Further information for the media:

Senior Adviser Veikko Pyykkönen, Finnish Immigration Service's reception unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431
Senior Adviser Marja Nevalainen, Finnish Immigration Service's asylum unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431 (until 4 July)

28.6.2011

Reduction in the number of accommodation spots in reception centres

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 07:21:40 GMT

Reduction in the number of accommodation spots in reception centres

By the end of 2011, the Finnish Immigration Service will reduce the number of accommodation spots in the reception centres for asylum seekers by approximately 550. The reason for the reduction is a decline in the number of asylum seekers of nearly 40 % from last year. At the moment, more than 600 of the total of 3,600 accommodation spots in the reception centres are vacant.

The majority of the vacant spots are in the reception centres in Helsinki and Joutseno, totalling to more than 400. With effect from 1 July, one hundred spots will be eliminated from both locations. The reception centres in both Helsinki and Joutseno are so-called transit units where asylum seekers are accommodated for the duration of the investigation regarding their application.

With effect from 1 September, a total of 150 spots will be eliminated from other reception centres. Another 200 spots are to be eliminated by the end of 2011; the locations will be determined in September.

67 spots to be reduced from units for minors

Of the spots to be eliminated, 67 are in group homes and support housing units used for accommodating unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. These reductions will be carried out as follows:

with effect from 1 July, 6 spots will be reduced in the group homes in Turku and Punkalaidun
with effect from 1 September, the 20-spot support housing unit in Rovaniemi will be closed down and 6 spots will be eliminated from the group home in Siuntio
by 31 December, the 21-spot support housing unit and the 14-spot group home in the Laajakoski village in Kotka will be closed down.

Variables monitored closely

The reception unit of the Finnish Immigration Service that controls the reception of asylum seekers in Finland closely monitors any variations in the numbers and profiles of applicants in Finland and other Nordic countries. The development of the situation in Northern Africa and its potential effects on the number of refugees, and eventually on Finland, are also followed closely.

If need be, new accommodation spots can be established quickly. The reception centre in Oulu, for example, is prepared to increase the number of accommodation spots for unaccompanied minors immediately if their numbers increase.

According to preliminary statistics, 1,137 people applied for asylum in Finland between January and May 2011. This is 39 % less than last year (with 1,867 applications between January and May 2010). In the light of these figures, the total number of applicants arriving this year is estimated at 2,500–3,000 (in comparison to 4,018 in 2010). The estimate is flexible because the number of applicants often varies particularly in autumn.

Further information for the media:

Senior Adviser Veikko Pyykkönen, Reception Unit for the Finnish Immigration Services, telephone: +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

22.6.2011

The number of asylum seekers down by more than one third early this year

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 07:20:59 GMT

The number of asylum seekers down by more than one third early this year

A total of 913 persons sought asylum in Finland from January to April this year, which is 39 per cent less than early last year (1,505 in 2010). Thus it looks as though the number of asylum seekers this year will remain lower that of last year overall. Unless the number of asylum seekers starts increasing, the expected number will be approximately 3,000 this year (4,018 in 2010).

Most asylum applications early this year were submitted by Iraqis (181), Somalis (121), Russians (100) and Afghanis (73).

There were 50 unaccompanied minors among the asylum seekers. This is 57 per cent less than from January to April 2010 when 116 underage applicants arrived in Finland.

EU citizens’ asylum applications practically stopped

A notable difference in comparison to early last year is a considerable decrease in the number of asylum applications submitted by EU citizens. Early this year, EU citizens submitted fewer than twenty applications whereas at the same time last year, Bulgaria (198 asylum seekers) and Romania (54 asylum seekers) were among the countries with the ten largest groups of applicants.

The decrease in the number of applications may be due to a pilot project launched by the Finnish Immigration Service and the police in April 2010 designed to make the processing of applications more efficient and to a limitation on reception services for EU citizens – a change which came into effect in July 2010.

In accordance with this limitation, an EU citizen who seeks asylum may not stay in the reception centre longer than the date on which (s)he is informed of a negative decision. With more efficient processing, a negative decision based on the apparent safety of the applicant’s country of origin is made within a few days.

More than one third of those who received a decision were allowed to remain in Finland

From January to April this year, 1,268 persons received a decision on asylum. Thirty-seven per cent of the applicants (464 persons) received a positive decision, that is, were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. A total of 64 persons were granted asylum. Fifty-six per cent (716 persons) received a negative decision. The share of Dublin decisions^[1] in all decisions was 21 per cent.

More detailed statistical report on the Internet

A more detailed report on asylum seeking matters from January to April 2011 can be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media:

Esko Repo, Director of the Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

_{[1] In the case of a Dublin decision, the application is not handled in Finland; instead, the applicant is turned back to the country responsible for the case concerned. The principle of the Dublin system followed in the EU countries as well as in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland is that an asylum application is only handled in one contracting state. If an asylum seeker has previously sought asylum in another country participating in the Dublin system, the country concerned is obliged to re-accept the asylum seeker and process his/her application.}

14.6.2011

2010 a time of operational development

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:16:33 GMT

2010 a time of operational development

Annual Report 2010 of the Finnish Immigration Service

For the Finnish Immigration Service 2010 was a year of operational development. The Finnish Immigration Service celebrated its 15th anniversary in March 2010; today the agency finds itself in a rapidly evolving operating environment, with the number of cases to be processed increasing continuously. The number of cases has risen by more than 30 per cent since 2005; over 50,000 were instituted in 2010 alone. Operations have been developed in various ways to ensure the capacity to respond to these challenges.

The main event of the year was the introduction in November of UMA, the electronic case management system for immigration matters. The system has more than 3,000 daily users in 95 countries. Apart from being a tool for the Finnish Immigration Service, the system is also used by the police and Finnish missions, among others.

Management and work processes also came under review. The organisation introduced a process management model aimed at improving efficiency as well as the motivation and commitment of personnel. The Nationality Unit was the first to begin reviewing its operating processes.

“The work is not yet finished, but the results already indicate that the review of operational processes is the only way to develop operations and seek new efficiencies,” says Director General Jorma Vuorio.

Additional challenges expected in future

The State productivity programme has created challenges for the controlled growth of immigration and the operations of the Finnish Immigration Service. Despite increasingly tight resources, the agency was able to improve the efficiency of case management. However, the number of foreigners residing in Finland is increasing rapidly as a result of rises in employment-based immigration and the number of family reunifications, placing further challenges on resources.

“If this trend continues at the same pace and in tandem with a continuing productivity programme, in a few years' time we will find ourselves in an even more challenging situation – one that cannot be resolved solely through the development of work practices. If controlled immigration is desirable, sooner or later we will need additional resources.

The Annual Report 2010 of the Finnish Immigration Service and the appended statistics are available on the website of the agency at www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media:

Director General Jorma Vuorio, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

20.4.2011

The Finnish Immigration Service intensifies its acquisition of information from Iraq

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:16:03 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service intensifies its acquisition of information from Iraq

The Finnish Immigration Service has launched a country of origin information system project on Iraq, which is partly funded by the European Return Fund and which is to be completed by the end of 2011. The purpose of the project is to create conditions that would ensure a sustainable, stable and safe remigration to Iraq of Iraqis who have sought international protection.

The aim is to create a system for enabling the acquisition of up-to-date and versatile country of origin information about Iraq for the purpose of assessing the conditions for return. The project is also intended to be used to establish the prospects for concluding a protocol for cooperation in remigration between Finland and Iraq which would contain an agreement on the practical arrangement for and implementation of the remigration of Iraqis who have withdrawn their application for asylum, have been refused asylum or a residence permit, or are staying in Finland with a residence permit.

Iraq is one of the major countries of origin

Country of origin information on Iraq is the key factor when the Finnish Immigration Service assesses the needs of an asylum seeker coming from that country for international protection and his/her prerequisites for safe return. Information is acquired from sources such as local and international authorities in Iraq and humanitarian and civic organisations.

Iraq is one of the major countries of origin for international migration and refugees: for the past three years (2008-2010), Iraqi citizens have constituted the largest individual group in Finland seeking international protection. From 2005 to 2009, some 3,300 Iraqi citizens sought international protection in Finland. In 2010 there were 575 Iraqi applicants. In addition, Iraqis have moved to Finland as quota refugees or with a residence permit granted on the basis of family ties.

Fact-finding mission in early summer and a seminar in the autumn

In early summer, representatives of the Finnish Immigration Service will set out on a fact-finding mission to northern Iraq, where the majority of Iraqis seeking international protection in Finland come from. During this mission, they will meet local authorities who are important for the acquisition of information as well as representatives of civic organisations, political parties and international organisations. The key aim is to create a network of contacts on the local level for the acquisition of country of origin information.

In September, a seminar will be held at the Finnish Immigration Service for the presentation of information obtained during the mission to officials, researchers and representatives of civic organisations as well as to Iraqis residing in Finland. Following the seminar, a report on the results of the project will be presented on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. Based on the project information, the Finnish Immigration Service will also update its application directive for Iraq, which guides the practice related to decisions on Iraqi citizens’ applications for asylum.

Further information for the media:

Martin Airisto, researcher, Legal Service and Country Information Unit, tel. 071 873 0431, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

11.4.2011

A total of 5,907 persons acquired finnish citizenship in 2010

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 07:15:38 GMT

A total of 5,907 persons acquired finnish citizenship in 2010

Last year, Finnish citizenship was granted to a total of 5,907 persons. Of the total, 3,961 obtained citizenship by application and 1,946 by declaration.

A total of 4,812 persons sought Finnish citizenship by application as compared to 4,417 in 2009. As with the previous year, the largest applicant groups in 2010 were Russians (1,385) and Somalis (349), with Iranians (283) climbing to the position of the third largest group. The largest groups among those who obtained citizenship by application were Russians, Estonians and Iranians.

Among the larger applicant groups were Ukrainians, whose citizenship applications increased by 110 per cent as compared to the previous year (103 applicants in 2010 and 49 applicants in 2009). This may be because for several years Ukrainians have also been among the ten largest nationality groups in residence permit statistics. Also, the citizens of one EU Member State, Estonia, continue to feature among the ten largest groups of applicant nationalities. A total of 221 Estonians applied for Finnish citizenship last year (155 in 2009).

A total of 573 persons sought Finnish citizenship by various forms of declaration (546 in 2009). Young people aged 18 to 22 who have spent a major part of their youth in Finland and the illegitimate children of a Finnish father are among the groups that may obtain Finnish citizenship by using the declaration method, which is less onerous than the application method.

The majority of decisions were positive

Some 94 per cent of the decisions on citizenship applications were positive (90 per cent in 2009), whereas 89 per cent of the decisions on citizenship declarations were positive (96 per cent in 2009).

Considerably fewer decisions on citizenship declarations were made in 2010 than in the previous year (2,055 in 2010 and 7,205 in 2009). The reason for this is that 6,721 of the declarations decided on in 2009 were declarations submitted by former Finnish citizens and their descendants. The Nationality Act allowing multiple citizenship, which entered into force in June 2003, offered them the opportunity to seek Finnish citizenship between 1 June 2003 and 31 May 2008 using the declaration method which contained no obligation to move to Finland. Close to 22,000 persons took advantage of the opportunity.

More detailed analyses on the Internet

More detailed analyses of the 2010 citizenship statistics may be found in Finnish on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service at www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media:

Tiina Suominen, Director, Nationality Unit, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

7.4.2011

The number of asylum seekers decreased by one third in 2010

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 07:15:17 GMT

The number of asylum seekers decreased by one third in 2010

Last year, a total of 4,018 persons, including 329 unaccompanied minors, sought asylum in Finland. The total number of asylum seekers decreased by 33 per cent compared with 2009, when the number was 5,988.

Compared with 2009, the number is lower for practically all nationalities. As in previous years, the highest number of asylum seekers came from Iraq (575) and Somalia (571). Women accounted for 30 per cent of all asylum seekers.

The number of unaccompanied minors asylum seekers decreased by 41 per cent over 2009, totalling 329 compared with 557 in the previous year. The largest groups were Somalis (117), Iraqis (64) and Afghans (43).

These figures differ from those published by Eurostat because Eurostat compiles the number of asylum seekers by the month during the statistical year. Monthly data are updated afterwards, however. Such changes will show in the annual statistics of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Decisions increased considerably over the previous year

In 2010, asylum decisions were made in the case of 5,837 persons. The figure is 35 per cent higher than in the previous year (4,335 in 2009) and 193 per cent higher than in 2008 (1,995).

Thirty per cent of the applicants (1,784 persons) were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. The share of asylum in all decisions was 3 per cent (181 in 2010 and 116 in 2009). The decision was a refusal in the case of 3,428 persons, or 59 per cent of the applicants. A total of 1,117 decisions, or 19 per cent of all decisions, were so-called Dublin decisions^[1] (in 2009, the corresponding figures were 1,488 and 34 per cent). The decrease in Dublin decisions is partly due to the Finnish Immigration Service policy of not returning asylum seekers to Greece and partly to an increase in the number of asylum seekers with EU citizenship.

More detailed analyses on the Internet

More detailed analyses of the 2010 asylum statistics may be found in Finnish on the Finnish Immigration Service website at www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media:

Esko Repo, Director of the Asylum Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

31.3.2011

Increase in the total number of residence permit applications in 2010

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:14:52 GMT

Increase in the total number of residence permit applications in 2010

In 2010, a total of 24,547 aliens from non-EU countries applied for a residence permit in Finland. The figure is 18% higher than in the previous year (number of applications in 2009: 20,790). The number of applications increased for all application types.

The most significant change was in the number of applications based on family ties for other family members, with an increase of 57% from the previous year (number of applications in 2010: 2,857 and in 2009: 1,819). The second most significant change was in the number of applications for residence permits from family members of Finnish citizens, with an increase of 31% (number of applications in 2010: 1,062 and in 2009: 808).

The number of applications based on family ties is expected to continue increasing, since the number of asylum seekers and persons who have been granted a residence permit has grown.

One of the most notable changes concerning processed residence permit applications is a significant increase in the number of applicants from Somalia. In 2010, applicants from Somalia submitted 3,986 applications. The figure is 76% higher than the in previous year (number of applications in 2009: 2,267). The majority of applications from Somalians pertain to the reunion of families, and the share of Somalian applicants of all applications based on family ties is by far the largest (37%).

The most significant number of applications were submitted from Russia (4,520), Somalia, (3,986) and India (1,712).

20,320 decisions

The total number of decisions made on residence permit applications was 20,320. This figure is significantly greater than in 2009 (18,260). A residence permit was granted to 16,322 people, i.e., to 80% of all applicants who received a decision.

The ratio of favourable and unfavourable decisions varies notably by application type. For example, a student residence permit was granted to 90% of relevant applicants, while approximately 73% of relevant applicants were granted a residence permit on the basis of family ties.

More detailed analyses online

For more detailed analyses of residence permit matters in Finnish, please visit the Finnish Immigration Service’s Web site: www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media:

Heikki Taskinen, Director, Immigration Unit, Tel.: +358 71 873 0431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi or Anna Hyppönen, Head of Immigration Unit Tel.: +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

24.3.2011

Asylum seekers will not be returned to Greece for the time being

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:14:25 GMT

Asylum seekers will not be returned to Greece for the time being

The Finnish Immigration Service has made a decision to stop returning asylum seekers to Greece for the time being on the basis of the so-called ‘Dublin Regulation’. The decision was motivated by a ruling issued by the European Court of Human Rights on 21 January 2011. According to the ruling, Belgium was violating the European Convention on Human Rights by returning asylum seekers to Greece. The reasons behind this were the deficiencies in the Greek asylum system, as well as the country’s poor reception and detention facilities.

The determination of the responsibility for examining asylum applications is based on the so-called Dublin Regulation adopted by the EU Member States and Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. The regulation is based on a principle whereby only one of the states that have adopted the regulation will examine the grounds for the international protection of an asylum seeker. The state responsible for the examination is the one that is mostly responsible for the applicant’s arrival into the Schengen area, or where the applicant first applied for asylum. However, each Member State has the right to process the asylum application, regardless of whether it is responsible for the examination or not.

The Finnish Immigration Service has earlier refused to return unaccompanied minors or applicants in a vulnerable position, such as families with children, to Greece because of the poor conditions in that country. Through their rulings, the Helsinki Administrative Court and the Supreme Administrative Court have endorsed the policy adopted by the Finnish Immigration Service.

Situation in Greece monitored constantly

In accordance with its decision, the Finnish Immigration Service will examine the asylum applications lodged in Finland for which Greece is actually responsible on the basis of the Dublin Regulation. At a rough estimate, the number of such applications in 2011 will be some 100-150.

In addition to these, the Finnish Immigration Service will also examine the applications that were lodged earlier and for which Greece is also responsible on the basis of the Dublin Regulation, provided that the applicant is still in Finland. According to an estimate by the Finnish Immigration Service, there are approximately one hundred such applications at most. Some of these have been appealed and are pending in administrative courts, while others are pending in the European Court of Human Rights. In 2010, the Finnish Police implemented 28 decisions of the Finnish Immigration Service to return an asylum seeker to Greece.

The ruling of the European Court of Human Rights will affect the practices in all EU countries, and according to the Finnish Immigration Service, the decision to stop returning asylum seekers will not make Finland a particularly attractive destination for other asylum seekers. The Finnish Immigration Service will monitor the situation in Greece and the policies adopted by other EU countries and update its own policy where necessary.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director, Asylum Unit Tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

24.1.2011

Finnish Immigration Service to close Imatra office

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:57:31 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service to close Imatra office

The Finnish Immigration Service’s Asylum Unit office in Imatra will cease operations on 1 January 2011. The Imatra and Saimaa offices will be merged to operate from the beginning of the year in Lappeenranta. After this change offices apart from Lappeenranta will be in Helsinki, Oulu and Kuhmo.

The Imatra and Oulu offices were opened in spring 2009. Additional funding for operations and for around 80 fixed-term posts totalled EUR 7.8 million for the previous and current year, granted by Parliament to the Finnish Immigration Service to deal with the congestion in asylum applications. The reduction in the number of asylum applicants this year has resulted in reduced appropriations for asylum decision-making. Additional funding for 2011 will amount to EUR 2.9 million.

Apart from Oulu and Imatra, some of the employees paid for out of the additional funding for last year were placed at Helsinki, where a new Asylum Unit profit area had been set up. This profit area will also cease operations on 1 January 2011.

Reduced number of applicants

The tasks of the Finnish Immigration Services’ Asylum Unit include asylum interviews and decisions, as well as refugee quota issues. From the beginning of next year the number of employees at the Asylum Unit will total 95, compared to a maximum of 134 during this year.

By the end of November 2010 a total of 3,606 persons had applied for asylum in Finland, while the figure for the whole of last year was 5,988.

Further information for the media:

Kaarina Koskinen, Director, Administration Unit tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: kaarina.koskinen@migri.fi
Esko Repo, Director, Asylum Unit tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: esko.repo@migri.fi

29.12.2010

Insufficient income is the most common reason for refusing student residence permit...

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:57:05 GMT

Insufficient income is the most common reason for refusing student residence permit applications

From January to October 2010, a total of 4,185 persons applied for a student residence permit, an increase of 7 per cent over the same time period last year (3,898 by October 2009). Of the applicants, 89 per cent were approved (92 per cent in 2009). A total of 3,864 non-EU students were granted residence permits.

As in previous years, the greatest number of residence permit applications were from Russian (816) and Chinese (601) students. Almost all of them were granted a residence permit. Besides the above-mentioned, the largest applicant groups were those from Nigeria (256), Nepal (232), Vietnam (214), the United States (173), India (165), and Bangladesh (157).

Watching for forged bank statements

A total of 11 per cent of the applicants were rejected. However, the rejection rates varied considerably by country. For example, approximately one half of the Nigerian applicants and one fourth of the Bangladeshi applicants were rejected.

The most common reason for rejection was insufficient income. A condition for a student residence permit is that the applicant should have a minimum of 500 euros a month or 6,000 euros a year at his/her disposal during his/her stay in Finland.

Last year, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) considerably intensified the investigation of residence permit applications from African students because of forged documents. It is now forged proofs of income that have gained prominence. A student residence permit is granted for one year at a time, and the applicant must produce a bank statement to show his/her income.

Most residence permit applicants come from developing countries such as Nigeria, Nepal and Bangladesh. Migri has reason to suspect that forged bank statements are used to prove sufficient income and that money is being circulated from one bank account to another. Migri is planning to intervene by further intensifying their examination of documents. The examination of bank statements is difficult, but it has already become possible; for example, the Nigerian embassy in Finland is assisting in local bank investigations, which is clearly reflecting on the refusal rate for Nigerian students.

Approvals are issued promptly

Migri processes and decides on student residence permit applications in the order in which they arrive. From January to October 2010, the average processing time for applications was 25 days.

For further information:

Anna Hyppönen, Head, Immigration Unit, tel. 071 873 0431, anna.hypponen@migri.fi

9.12.2010

One-stop-shop Service eliminates unnecessary work by authorities

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:56:39 GMT

One-stop-shop Service eliminates unnecessary work by authorities

The possibility to obtain the services of various authorities from one place is in clear demand among immigrants, too. The City of Helsinki Citizen Office for Immigrants has been providing services on the one-stop-shop principle from the beginning of 2009 when it signed an agreement on citizen services with the Finnish Immigration Service and the Helsinki local register office.

The average customer visits the Citizen Office 2.5 times, using one visit to enquire about several matters. In 2009 the office was visited by 2,890 customers, of whom 1,036 (36 per cent) enquired about a matter falling within the remit of the Finnish Immigration Service: residence permits and Finnish citizenship. Of customers speaking Arabic, nearly 60 per cent had an enquiry that concerned the Finnish Immigration Service. For those speaking Russian, Somali, Turkish or Kurdish the corresponding figure was close to 40.

An inevitable new service model

With the number of customers constantly increasing and the agency lacking the funds to bolster its own service resources, the one-stop-shop model is an inevitable new service model for the Finnish Immigration Service.

– Our ability to correct unfounded or deficient application forms before they are submitted and to provide counselling on how to fill in applications saves a great deal of unnecessary work by the authorities. We do not fill in our customers’ applications for them, but provide counselling and encourage them to take independent initiative. We cannot influence the content of decisions, even though we often receive requests to that effect, says Christina Huotari, supervisor of the Citizen Office.

– We are extremely satisfied with the cooperation, which clearly improves our customer service, especially through the large number of languages spoken by the counsellors and their multicultural background, says Customer Service Director Hanna Koskinen from the Finnish Immigration Service.

Oral information spreads best

Huotari has discovered that oral information – delivered face to face or by telephone – is most effective in reaching immigrants. Oral communication is also more effective in spreading information among immigrants than notices published on the Internet, for example. The efficiency of communication is further increased by the fact that the employees of the Citizen Office, many of whom are immigrants themselves, speak ten languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Kurdish, Somali, Turkish, Persian and Russian. This makes it possible for many people to be served in their own mother tongue.

– It is rare for us to have to resort to using an interpreter, as the majority of our customers speak one of our service languages. Chinese and French are the only languages whose speakers we are beginning to develop a genuine need for, Huotari says.

One-stop-shop services could also benefit the police

The range of services provided by the Citizen Services aimed at immigrants could also be extended: participation by the police would be particularly beneficial.

– A share of residence permit enquiries concern permit extensions, which fall within the remit of the police. Also, many people would like to submit their application at our office, which would eliminate the need for going to the office of the immigration police in Malmi. The cooperation with the Finnish Immigration Service has ensured our continuous training. This improves our ability to provide counselling, thereby reducing customer service volumes at the Finnish Immigration Service – we could enjoy similar mutual benefits with the police, Huotari notes.

Move to the city centre ahead

This year the clientele of the Citizen Office is anticipated to continue growing with the upcoming move from Itäkeskus to the city centre. The address of the new premises is not yet known, but the City Council has outlined that it should be in a readily accessible place along good traffic connections.

– It will be interesting to see if the move will have an impact on customer volumes and backgrounds. I have heard that at least students, university staff and others temporarily residing in Helsinki have struggled to find their way to Itäkeskus, Huotari says.

Until further notice the Citizen Office is located in Itäkeskus at the address Tallinnanaukio 1 A (4th floor) and is open on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. On Wednesdays the office is open until 6 p.m., mainly intended to serve immigrants with daytime jobs. The increasingly popular telephone counselling is mainly provided during the telephone hours between 9 and 10 a.m. on weekdays.

Further information for the media:

Christina Huotari, supervisor, City of Helsinki Citizen Office for Immigrants, tel. +358 9 3106 2671, e-mail: christina.huotari@hel.fi
Hanna Koskinen, Customer Service Director, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: hanna.koskinen@migri.fi

10.6.2010

The Finnish Immigration Service has reassessed the security situation in Afghanistan

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:56:19 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service has reassessed the security situation in Afghanistan

The Finnish Immigration Service has updated its guidelines for Afghanistan, which assess the situation there and the international protection needs of Afghan asylum-seekers in the light of the current security situation in the country.

The security situation in Afghanistan is unstable with considerable variation by province. According to a comment issued in July 2009 by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, the fiercest battles continue to be fought in Helmand and Kandahar, although unrest has also begun to emerge in other provinces.

More attention to be paid to individual reasons

The assessment of the security situation in Afghanistan has become more complicated because access to the areas in question by international actors, and aid organisations in particular, has become more difficult. For this reason and for the lack of resources, UNHCR no longer prepares regional security updates. The Finnish Immigration Service previously used these as a major benchmark for the evaluation of the security situation.

At the present time, UNHCR urges increased attention to the individual reasons of persons seeking international protection. The Finnish Immigration Service will thus use individual reasons as the key criterion in the assessment of the international protection needs of asylum-seekers from Afghanistan.

Due to lack of security, protection to be provided for persons coming from four provinces only

On the basis of a poor local security situation alone, the Finnish Immigration Service will only provide international protection to persons who come from one of four provinces of southern and eastern Afghanistan: Kandahar, Helmand, Khost or Kunar. Because of armed conflict, the security situation in those provinces is considerably worse than elsewhere and prevents the safe return home of asylum-seekers who originally come from there. These asylum-seekers are granted a residence permit on the basis of humanitarian protection if their applications do not include individual reasons for granting asylum or subsidiary protection.

Asylum applications of Afghans coming from other areas are rejected and the applicants are refused entry and returned to Afghanistan unless they have individual reasons for the granting of a residence permit.

There is unrest in many central and northern Afghanistan provinces, but it does not fulfil the definition of armed conflict. Afghanistan continues to have many provinces in which unrest does not affect the life of the ordinary civilian population. For example, areas under Taliban control are not necessarily unsafe for local civilians, though foreigners have no access to such areas.

The definition of policy by the Finnish Immigration Service essentially follows the UNHCR guidelines. The Finnish Immigration Service keeps a close watch on the situation in Afghanistan and reassesses its policy as needed. UNHCR has announced that it is currently updating its own guidelines.

Repatriation agreement is also in preparation

The updated guidelines for Afghanistan are largely based on the outcome of an Afghanistan project launched in the summer of 2009 under the European Return Fund. Last autumn, representatives from the Finnish Immigration Service and the police undertook a fact-finding mission to Afghanistan in order to establish a network of contacts with local Finnish nationals as well as international and local organisations. The importance of new contacts is emphasised now that UNHCR no longer prepares security updates.

Finland is also preparing a tripartite agreement with Afghanistan and UNHCR for the repatriation of Afghans both denied and granted a residence permit.

By the end of March of this year, a total of 77 Afghans had sought asylum in Finland. In 2009, the number was 461, which meant that Afghans formed the fifth largest national group of asylum-seekers.

Further information for the media: Pekka Martin, Senior Adviser, Legal Service and Country Information Unit, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: pekka.martin@migri.fi

19.4.2010

The year 2009 was a time of varying numbers

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:55:59 GMT

The year 2009 was a time of varying numbers

Annual report of the Finnish Immigration Service 2009

The year 2009 was a year of varying numbers for the Finnish Immigration Service. The total number of residence permit applications fell and the employment-based applications saw a drop by nearly a half. On the other hand, the number of submitted applications for family reunification and asylum rose higher than ever before.

Controlled increased immigration is the guiding principle of the Finnish government’s immigration policy. The grounds are clear: Finland is providing against future labour shortages. From the perspective of the Finnish Immigration Service the increase is placing a severe strain on resources. In 2006 the Finnish Immigration Service received nearly 35,000 cases to be processed. By 2009 this number had grown to 47,700. According to a realistic prognosis the number reaches 60,000 over the next few years.

– I believe the majority of Finns will accept immigration if it is controlled and if immigrants are given sufficient opportunities to integrate. We cannot halt immigration, but we can manage it. Controlled immigration is in the best interest of all, says Director General Jorma Vuorio.

The Finnish Immigration Service is seen as an interesting workplace

People are very interested in immigration issues. One of the indicatives of this is the avalanche of job applications the Finnish Immigration Service received: in 2009 the number was over 5,100.

The number of employees rose in a year by 30 per cent, i.e. by 80 persons, as the parliament granted the Finnish Immigration Service supplementary appropriation of four million euros in all. At the same time the Finnish Immigration Service broadened geographically to two new cities, Oulu and Imatra.

The annual report 2009 of the Finnish Immigration Service and it’s statistical appendix can be read on the website www.migri.fi > Info Bank > Publications.

Further information for the media: Director General Jorma Vuorio,
tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: jorma.vuorio@migri.fi

16.4.2010

The Finnish Immigration Service’s forms have been revised

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:55:28 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service’s forms have been revised

The Finnish Immigration Service’s residence permit application and citizenship application forms have been revised. The new forms will be taken into use on Monday, 11 January 2010.

The old forms are no longer available, but if someone has printed out or stored one of these, a residence permit application, a citizenship application or a citizenship declaration made on these forms will still be accepted at police stations in Finland and at Finnish diplomatic missions abroad until 28 February 2010. After this point, only the new forms will be accepted.

Tailored questions, faster processing

All application types in accordance with the Aliens Act have their own designated forms now. Residence permit applicants will no longer fill in the same residence permit form; instead, designated forms will be provided for, for instance, students, employees and family members. Similarly, people applying for Finnish citizenship will select the suitable form according to which applicant group they belong.

The questions in each of the forms are tailored to the application type. Thus, the forms are more detailed than before, yet applicants only need to answer questions pertaining to their own application type. This is expected to reduce the need for requests for supplementary documentation, thus expediting processing of applications and decision-making. The exact questions also give the applicants a picture of the requirements for getting a residence permit or Finnish citizenship.

The type of applicant for whom the application is intended is indicated at the top of each form. The questions are detailed, which will help in filling in the form, with the required appendixes listed on the last form page.

Forms available in the same place as before

The new forms will be available on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website (www.migri.fi) under the “Application forms” link and as from 12 January also on the website Suomi.fi.

All forms have been published in Word and PDF format. The form in Word format can be filled in on the computer and saved for completion at a convenient time. The PDF format form should be printed out and filled in manually.

The forms will be provided in the same languages as previously: the languages in which residence permit forms are available are Finnish, Swedish and English. The citizenship forms are primarily available in Finnish and Swedish.

The revised application forms do not affect the application process. An application for a residence permit may be submitted to a Finnish diplomatic mission abroad or to the local police in Finland. An application for Finnish citizenship must be submitted to the local police in Finland. A declaration for Finnish citizenship may be submitted abroad to a Finnish diplomatic mission.

Further information for the media: Hanna Helinko, Head of Section, Administration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

11.1.2010

Only a third of the West-Africans selected to study in Finland were granted a residence...

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:54:37 GMT

Only a third of the West-Africans selected to study in Finland were granted a residence permit

From January to October 2009 favourable decisions were granted to 92 per cent of the applicants for a student's residence permit. During this time, Finland granted residence permits to 3,397 students hailing from outside EU borders.

On the other hand, as much as 70 per cent of the Cameroonians and Ghanaians and 60 per cent of the Nigerians gaining selection to Finnish educational institutions were denied a residence permit. Most commonly, the failure to secure a residence permit was caused by forged documents or insufficient income.

Forgeries have been encountered in personal IDs, study and work certificates, as well as bank statements and health insurance documents. The prerequisites for a student’s residence permit include having valid health insurance coverage and a minimum of EUR 500 per month, or EUR 6,000 per year, available for the duration of the student’s residence in Finland.

Language achievement test eliminated selected students

One of the largest groups applying for a student’s residence permit is people studying on the international courses of vocational schools. This year marked the first time that vocational schools obligated their students to pass an international language achievement test. This has played a part in reducing the number of people selected to study in Finnish schools, and thus the number of people applying for residence permits. By the end of October, 3,898 individuals had applied for a student’s residence permit, representing a drop of approximately 6 per cent compared to the same period last year.

From year to year, the most applications for a student’s residence permit are submitted by Russian and Chinese people. Almost all of them are granted a residence permit: in January to October 2009, only around 1.5 per cent of these applicants were denied a permit.

More efficient vetting of Africans

This year, immigration authorities have substantially increased their efforts in investigating the residence permit applications of African students. For instance, additional staff was sent to the Finnish embassy in Nigeria to interview applicants and review the authenticity of their documents, since forgeries are easier to detect when viewing the original documents, rather than copies. In Finland, decision-making is usually on the basis of document copies.

When forged documents are presented with an application, the authorities cannot ascertain the applicant’s real motives for moving to Finland. Presentation of forgeries is considered a circumvention of immigration regulations, and thus an attempt at illegal entry. As a Schengen country, Finland is committed to curbing illegal immigration, and Finnish authorities will also try to focus resources next year on the investigation of African students’ applications.

Further information for the media: Pauliina Helminen, Head of Section, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

19.11.2009

Finnish Immigration Service to introduce new service numbers

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:54:18 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service to introduce new service numbers

At the beginning of November the Finnish Immigration Service will introduce new service numbers dedicated to specific issues. The customer calling hours will remain the same – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 11 a.m. – but customers will now be able to select the number on the basis of the subject of their call. The calls will be answered by experts at the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality units.

The Finnish Immigration Service will also continue to offer customer service by telephone on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the general customer service number +358 71 873 3400.

Aim at alleviating call congestion

The service number reform is motivated by the desire of the Finnish Immigration Service to improve its customer service and to address the constant increase in the number of incoming calls. For example, in September 2009 the switchboard of the Finnish Immigration Service received nearly 15,000 calls, while last year the average number of calls per month was less than 10,000.

The reform aims at alleviating the call load at the switchboard of the Service Centre of the Internal Affairs Administration, which also operates the switchboard of several other authorities. The number of calls made to the Finnish Immigration Service during the one-hour service period is on average 450–500, which has often congested the lines of other authorities as well. Distribution of incoming calls between dedicated service numbers will enable distribution of the call load over several lines. Customers will also be able directly to contact an official familiar with the subject matter.

Owing to technical reasons, there will regrettably be no opportunity to queue for the service numbers.

Eleven new numbers

A total of eleven new service numbers will be introduced: four dealing with residence permits, three with citizenship, and four with asylum and refugees. A detailed list of the numbers can be found in the attached document.

The first time the new service numbers will be used will be during the call hour on Tuesday, 3 November.

Further information for the media: Customer Service Director Hanna Koskinen, tel. +358 71 873 0431

23.10.2009

Open house at the Finnish Immigration Service on 2 October

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:53:57 GMT

Open house at the Finnish Immigration Service on 2 October

The Finnish Immigration Service is arranging an open house event at 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Friday 2 October.

The programme includes brief fifteen-minute bulletins on subjects of the moment. Experts from all department units will also be on hand to present their work and answer any queries that guests may have.

Topics and timetable for the bulletins:

11.30 Iraq – a current review (Legal Service and Country Information Unit)
12.00 The nature of the asylum interview (Asylum Unit)
12.30 Marriages of convenience (Immigration Unit)
1.00 Language competence as a requirement for Finnish citizenship (Nationality Unit)

Department operations will be described at the general level during the event. Information will not be given on individual cases including personal issues under investigation.

The bulletins will be presented in Finnish, but experts will also answer queries in Swedish and English.

The venue for the event will be the Migration Library

The venue for the event will be the department’s Migration Library, situated in the Helsinki office at Panimokatu 1.

The library itself will also be shown to the guests. Apart from the theme day its doors are open at other times to all those interested: every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 3 p.m. The library contains a collection of around 10,000 volumes of literature on immigration, migration and topics related to countries of departure.

Part of the Year 1809 events

The Finnish Immigration Service’s open house event is part of the events ordered by the government to commemorate its 200th year. The beginning of the autonomous era in 1809 is one of Finland’s most important commemorative historical events.

The Ministry of the Interior will be holding its open house event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday 3 October at Kirkkokatu 12, Helsinki. The Ministry’s event will also include factual information on immigration, while Minister for Immigration and European Affairs Astrid Thors will be available to answer questions from 12–12.30 p.m. Questions may be submitted beforehand via the Ministry’s website (www.intermin.fi).

Further information for the press: Tarja-Riitta Nissinen, Director of Communications, tel. +358 71 873 0431

23.9.2009

The website of the National Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN) in...

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:53:20 GMT

The website of the National Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN) in Finland has been launched

The Finnish EMN National Contact Point website, www.emn.fi, consists of research reports conducted by the EMN, listing of all the ad hoc queries dealing with migration issues made by the EU Members States through this channel and information on current events.

The main purpose of this website is to serve as a source of information and as an electronic notice board for all stakeholders around the migration issue in Finland.

The website also contains a separate sub-page for national network members. The membership is open for individuals and corporate bodies. With each person and organisation, their contact info and research interests are listed. This electronic data bank provides a possibility for researchers and other actors around migration issues to contact each other according to their specific interests and needs, both in Finland and abroad. On this forum the national network members can also post announcements concerning various events of interest, share their own research, give information about their work involvement around migration issues or migration research in general.

You can join the EMN national network by filling out the electronic form on the webpage.

The national contact point for the EMN is situated within the Finnish Immigration Service.

15.7.2009

The Finnish Immigration Service improves its information gathering about Afganistan

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:52:57 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service improves its information gathering about Afganistan

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has started an Afghanistan programme supported by the European Return Fund which will last until the end of 2009. The purpose is to network with various organisations and develop a system for assessing the security situation in Afghanistan by gathering relevant country of origin information. Information is gathered from local and international officials in Afghanistan as well as NGOs. The goal of the programme to ensure a more reliable and up-to-date assessment on the security situation in Afghanistan.

Country information about Afghanistan is a central factor used by Migri when assessing an asylum seeker’s need for international protection and the conditions for a safe return. Furthermore, the network created in the programme will be used to gather information to support the voluntary return of citizens of Afghanistan. The information will be made available to the officials organising the voluntary return.

The programme will also be used in trilateral negotiations between Finland, Afghanistan and the UN Refugee Agency UNCHR, where the aim is to reach an agreement on the return of asylum seekers, the Afghans who have received a negative decision as well as those who have received a residence permit.

Information gathering trip and seminar in autumn

In autumn 2009, representatives of Migri and the Police will visit Afghanistan to gather information. During the trip, the representatives will visit local authorities, Finnish and foreign embassies, NGOs, political parties and international organisations. The most important goal is to create a network of local contacts.

In October, Migri will host a seminar where the information gathered during the trip will be presented to officials as well as Afghans who reside in Finland. The authorities will receive a report about the trip in Finnish and in English. After the seminar, a report for the general public will be published on the Migri website.

Based on the results of the programme, Migri will update its instructions concerning the processing and resolution practices of Afghan asylum applications.

Afghanistan is one of the most significant countries of refugee origin

Afghanistan is one of the main countries of origin for refugees and international migration. From 2004 to 2008, about 850 citizens of Afghanistan applied for an asylum in Finland. Afghans have also immigrated into Finland as quota refugees and as recipients of residence permits granted on the basis of family ties. Approximately 3,300 people with Afghan background currently live in Finland, and many of them are Finnish citizens.

This press release will later be published in the Dari language on the Migri website at www.migri.fi.

Further information for the media: Senior Adviser Pekka Martin, Legal Service and Country Information Unit, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431

22.6.2009

The Finnish Immigration Service has reassessed the Iraq security situation

Fri, 08 May 2009 10:52:20 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service has reassessed the Iraq security situation

The Finnish Immigration Service has updated its guidelines for Iraq to include an assessment of the need of Iraqi asylum seekers for international protection on the basis of the country’s current political and social situation.

The security situation in Iraq has improved considerably. Guidelines published by the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR in April also reveal a clear diminution of the violence in Iraq. Remigration to Iraq, and particularly the return of internal refugees, has been growing steadily. Individual acts of terror by the Iraqi al-Qaida and other extremist groups are no longer perceived as a threat to the running of the country, while the capacity of Iraq’s domestic security forces is strengthening continuously.

Security situation stable throughout most of Iraq

Following the significant improvement in the security situation in Iraq, the Finnish Immigration Service is changing its policy with regard to Iraqi asylum seekers.

Asylum seekers from southern Iraq and Baghdad are no longer considered as being in need of international protection solely on the basis of the security situation in these areas. Unless they possess individual grounds for the granting of a residence permit, their asylum applications will be rejected and they will be sent back to Iraq.

With regard to Baghdad, the Finnish Immigration Service’s policy differs from UNHCR guidelines, on the basis that the city’s current security situation does not present a barrier to remigration.

The security situation in the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq remains stable. The Finnish Immigration Service will not, as a consequence, grant residence permits to asylum seekers from this area unless there are individual grounds for doing so. Asylum seekers from this area will also be subject to a decision to send them back to Iraq.

Continued uncertainty in parts of central Iraq

The situation in four provinces in central Iraq (Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Kirkuk and Diyala) remains uncertain. The tense security situation in the region prevents the safe return of asylum seekers from these four provinces. In the absence of individual grounds for the granting of a residence permit, these asylum seekers will, in accordance with UNHCR guidelines, be granted a residence permit on the basis of the need for protection.

The Finnish Immigration Service views it as essential, for verification purposes, to carry out a language analysis for asylum seekers who are claiming to have come from one of the four provinces mentioned.

The Finnish Immigration Service is monitoring the Iraqi situation closely and will conduct a further reassessment of its policy where this becomes necessary. Reassessment is nevertheless due at the beginning of June, when new provisions under the Aliens Act concerning international protection come into force.

By the end of April this year asylum seekers arriving from Iraq numbered just under 700. The figure for 2008 was 1,255.

Further information for the media: Esko Repo, Head of the Asylum Unit, +358 71 873 0431

8.5.2009

2008 – a year of service investments

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:51:49 GMT

2008 – a year of service investments

Annual report of the Finnish Immigration Service 2008

The first year in the history of the Finnish Immigration Service, 2008, was a year of service developments. The objective of promoting predictability and transparency, set out in the Finnish government’s programme, was adapted as the fundamental guideline for both the vision of the authority and its policies. The motto was defined as “Better service for all”.

During the year the objectives took shape among other things as a joint services agreement. Since December the customers of the Finnish Immigration Service have received information and advice also from the Immigrants Information Point of the City of Helsinki, in Itäkeskus. The office’s employees have immigrant-background and they serve customers in ten languages.

One objective was also to attain identical policies throughout the entire authority: consistent quality, and producing good service experiences and informative services. Further development of the common customer service policies was started by the entire personnel.

Case management will become genuinely inter-authority

Preparation for one of the most significant development projects, the electronic case management system for immigration processes (UMA), reached its final phases in 2008. When completed, the UMA will be a genuine inter-authority system, used in liaison between many authorities, including the Finnish Immigration Service, the police, the Finnish Border Guard and Finnish missions abroad.

Enhanced co-operation

Enhanced cooperation continued also with interest groups. One of the most significant projects undertaken was the work on further development of asylum interviews, carried out in cooperation with the Refugee Advice Centre. This was the first time that asylum process has been developed jointly by an NGO and officials.

The Advisory Board of the Finnish Immigration Service was established at the beginning of 2008. It gathers together several interest groups, ranging from organisations to representatives of the commercial and industrial sectors.

The annual report 2008 of the Finnish Immigration Service can be read on the website www.migri.fi > About us > Publications.

Further information for the media: Director General Jorma Vuorio, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: jorma.vuorio@migri.fi

20.4.2009

Development of the asylum interview via pioneering cooperation

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:51:28 GMT

Development of the asylum interview via pioneering cooperation

The Refugee Advice Centre and the Finnish Immigration Service have together been developing the asylum interview since the beginning of 2008. This is the first time that an asylum process has been developed jointly by an NGO and officials. The project has received funding from the European Refugee Fund (ERF).

’Our experiences have been extremely positive’, states Marjaana Laine, a lawyer for the Refugee Advice Centre and the coordinator of the project. In the future, partners want to develop in particular communication with asylum seekers as well as training for those working with them.

Recommendations for the development of the asylum interview

The first fruits of the cooperation have been collated into a recently completed list of recommendations for the development of the asylum interview. On the basis of this, it became clear how the interview works at present and how the asylum seeker's legal protection is ensured. The recommendations are aimed at all those involved in the asylum interview process.

‘The basic idea was to document the interview stage by stage in detail to find the areas that require clarification. The recommendations are intended to consolidate best practices; some of which are already being followed. The remainder will also be taken into consideration where possible’, states Esko Repo, director of the Asylum Unit in the Finnish Immigration Service.

Compiling the recommendations highlighted how important it is that the asylum seeker finds out in good time information about the interview as well as their rights and responsibilities. ‘Clear communications also increase the asylum seekers' trust in the Finnish system’, states Laine.

The interview is a challenge for both the asylum seeker and the interviewer

‘Development of the asylum interview is important because it is a challenging situation for all those involved. The interview is the most important opportunity for clarifying the basis of receiving international protection. A successful interview is the best basis for making a decision that complies with the guarantee of legal protection’, stresses Laine.

Meeting with an asylum seeker is demanding for all those working with them because the asylum seekers do not speak the language and are in a foreign environment and culture. Many may have experienced traumatic events.

Those interviewed as part of the clarifications include: interviewers, assistants, interpreters, asylum seekers, and admission centre staff. Representatives of minor asylum seekers and mental health professionals have also taken part in the project.

Further information for the media:

The Refugee Advice Centre: Marjaana Laine, tel. 075 7575 100, email: marjaana.laine@pakolaisneuvonta.fi
The Finnish Immigration Service Esko Repo, tel. 071 873 0431, email: esko.repo@migri.fi

14.1.2009

More than 20,000 people keen to regain Finnish citizenship

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:50:52 GMT

More than 20,000 people keen to regain Finnish citizenship

A total of approximately 21,500 former Finnish citizens or their descendants applied to have their lost citizenship restored within the five-year time limit provided under the current Finnish Nationality Act.

The transitional provision was in force from 1 June 2003 until 31 May 2008. According to the provision, a person who had lost his or her Finnish citizenship due to gaining the citizenship of a foreign state, for example, was entitled to apply to have his or her citizenship restored by declaration without having to move to Finland. The opportunity was also offered to descendants of former and current Finnish citizens, regardless of whether they had ever held a Finnish citizenship.

Between the beginning of June 2003 and the end of October 2008, a total of 10,547 people had been granted a Finnish citizenship under the transitional provision. Of these, a total of 6,012 (57 percent) were former citizens and 4,535 (43 percent) were descendants. The final distribution of former citizens and descendants will become clear once all declarations have been processed.

Half of the declarations lodged within a space of five months

The number of declarations skyrocketed towards the end of the transitional period: approximately 9,100 declarations – almost half of the total number of declarations received over the five-year period – were lodged between January and May this year. From April onwards, the Finnish Immigration Service was receiving an average of one hundred citizenship declarations per day, when the daily number of declarations had previously been between 5 and 10.

The applicants represented more than one hundred different nationalities. The ten most prominently featured countries were Sweden (5,126), the United States (4,178), Canada (3,562), Australia (2,796), Germany (1,368), Switzerland (887), Russia (592), the United Kingdom (507), France (344) and Israel (287).

Decisions delayed until next year

The flood of declarations at the beginning of the year clogged the Nationality Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service to such an extent that the received declarations were only entered into the register in late autumn. This has also led to longer processing times.

Approximately 9,000 declarations are still pending at the moment. The goal is to deliver decisions on all declarations by the end of 2009, and the majority by July.

By the end of October this year, decisions had been delivered to 1,384 persons. Of them, a total of 1,303 (94 percent) persons got positive and 29 (2 percent) negative decisions. The remaining 4 percent were either deemed inadmissible or related to cancellations and expirations.

Further information for the media: Tiina Suominen, Director, Nationality Unit, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 (0)71 873 0431, e-mail: tiina.suominen@migri.fi

11.12.2008

Service from one source – in ten languages

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:50:31 GMT

Service from one source – in ten languages

Immigrants will receive more comprehensive information and advice from one source when the Finnish Immigration Service and the Helsinki Register Office conclude a joint services agreement with the Immigrants Information Point of the City of Helsinki Social Services Department. This will also significantly increase the information services of the Finnish Immigration Service and the Register Office.

Significant benefits for customers as well as the Finnish Immigration Service and the Register Office include extended service hours every Wednesday and a greater range of languages. The Citizen’s Service Office’s immigrant-background employees will serve customers in ten languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Bulgarian, Kurdish, Somali, Turkish, Persian and Russian.

The City of Helsinki Social Services Department, the Finnish Immigration Service and the Helsinki Register Office will sign their joint services agreement on 9 December 2008 at 9 am at the Immigrants’ Information Point, Itäkeskus (address: Tallinnanaukio 1 A, 4th floor). Representatives of the press are welcome to attend the event.

Help in handling bureaucracy

Immigrants can have difficulty in understanding Finland’s complex official system. The Information Point will try to integrate immigrants into Finnish society by providing information about how and where issues are handled in Finland. The new partners to the agreement will regularly train the Information Point’s employees.

The Information Point will, for example, help customers complete official forms. The Information Point’s employees will not make official decisions, nor can they influence decisions made by others. They will, however, explain to customers in their own language any issue that customers do not understand.

The Information Point is not the place to initiate Finnish Immigration Service, Register Office or City of Helsinki applications. But other mail, for example answers to requests for further information, can be directed to their destination via Itäkeskus.

The Information Point is located close to the Itäkeskus shopping centre, at the address Tallinnanaukio 1 A (4th floor), opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 9 am–3 pm. On Wednesdays only, the Information Point is open for a longer time, until 6 pm.

Further information for the media:

City of Helsinki Social Services Department, Immigrants Information Point Supervisor Christina Huotari, tel. (09) 3106 2671, e-mail: christina.huotari@hel.fi
Finnish Immigration Service, Customer Service Director Hanna Koskinen, tel. (071) 873 0431, e-mail: hanna.koskinen@migri.fi
Helsinki Register Office, Registrar Paula Ojaniemi, tel. (09) 695 44222, e-mail: paula.ojaniemi@maistraatti.fi

9.12.2008

The Finnish Immigration Service joined in the EU research network

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:50:10 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service joined in the EU research network

The Finnish Immigration Service has been designated as the Finnish national contact point for the European Migration Network (EMN). The network has national contact points in all EU countries and its objective is to provide up-to-date, objective, reliable and comparable information on migration and asylum in the EU. In addition to politicians and government officials, information is also provided to the general public on the network website.

EMN’s main products are annual reports on the development of immigration policy, annual reports on asylum and migration statistics, and various thematic reviews. In addition to these, the contact points may ask each other questions. The answers are summarised into an information package.

The annual reports, reviews and studies are publicly available in English on the international EMN website at http://emn.sarenet.es. Reports, reviews and studies may also be issued in a printed form. The reports by the Finnish contact point will be published also in Finnish.

To complement the pan-European network, each country will create their own national network, whose members consist of immigration-related government bodies, research institutions and civic organisations. A national network may participate in studies, reports and queries. At the same time the members obtain information on immigration research in other EU countries, as well as visibility to their own research activities.

The EMN began as a pilot project in 2003. In May 2008, the European Council decided to make EMN a permanent organization. Initially, the Finnish national contact point operated at Statistics Finland, but as the scope of the operations expanded from statistics to other research, the contact point was transferred to Finnish Immigration Service in 2008. The Network is chaired by the EU Commission.

Further information for the media: Head of Section for EMN, Kielo Brewis, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: kielo.brewis@migri.fi

3.12.2008

History of immigration policy as old as the Finnish state itself

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:49:48 GMT

History of immigration policy as old as the Finnish state itself

Antero Leitzinger’s doctoral dissertation Ulkomaalaispolitiikka Suomessa 1812–1972 (Finnish Immigration Policy 1812–1972) reveals that immigration and immigration policy are not new phenomena in Finland, where it is generally believed that the growth in the number of foreigners began in the 1970s. That immigration originated in 1973 is nevertheless a myth – every time researchers infiltrate the dense jungle of statistics the number of immigrants and their impact show themselves to be greater than anticipated.

The history of immigration policy reaches as far back in time as the unified Finnish state. When the province of Vyborg was incorporated in the Grand Duchy of Finland growth began both in the number of Finns living outside Finland and in foreigners living within her borders. Regulation of their immigration and residence required legislation and, from 1918, a centralised immigration administration. Finland was already offering asylum to many Russians, Estonians and Russian Jews even before her independence.

Finnish officials became involved in international cooperation and found solutions to many difficult immigration policy challenges. Some wartime repatriations to Germany and the Soviet Union were arduous and debatable for Finns, but their judicial and political difficulties, too, were taken seriously. Malfeasance occurred only in isolated cases. Even in the troubled arena of post-war foreign politics Finland took care of its refugee policy in a businesslike, if low-key, fashion.

Foreigners also came to Finland for reasons of study, work or marriage. Occasionally, the interest of politicians was drawn towards immigrants in matters of health, property ownership, commerce, employment, alleviation of poverty and education. Immigration policy was linked to travel, foreign policy, visa and passport requirements, cultural influences, student and trainee exchanges and the establishment of national associations and associations for religious communities. The negative impact, or even fear, generated by vagrancy, crime and antipathy towards foreigners should also not be overlooked.

The history of immigration policy demonstrates that immigration has been exerting a diversity of influences on Finnish society for some considerable time. Situations have followed a fluctuating path and immigration policy on the whole has reacted haphazardly to the questions of the moment, although the same questions are recurring continually. Success in overall immigration policy has been demonstrated to a perhaps surprising degree.

Leitzinger’s doctoral dissertation follows on from his earlier book Ulkomaalaiset Suomessa 1812–1972 (Foreigners in Finland 1812–1972). The dissertation will be defended in Turku on 17 June.

Further information can be obtained from Country Information Researcher Antero Leitzinger, Finnish Immigration Service, e-mail: antero.leitzinger@migri.fi, tel. +358 71 873 0431.

Personal details of the doctoral candidate

Antero Leitzinger was born in Helsinki in 1962 and graduated from the Helsingin Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu in 1981. He studied political history at the universities of Helsinki, Turku and Zürich (Master of Political Science 1988, Licentiate in Political Science 2005) and has been employed since 1998 as a Country Information Researcher at the Directorate of Immigration/Finnish Immigration Service. The subject of his licentiate dissertation completed at the University of Turku in 2005 was the history of Finland’s oldest Muslim community.

In addition to his research work Leitzinger has published dozens of books on immigration history and the history of ideology, as well as travel guides.

In his free time Leitzinger likes to travel and to indulge in his favourite sport of chess.

12.6.2008

Work, studies and family attract to Finland

Thu, 22 May 2008 10:49:21 GMT

Work, studies and family attract to Finland

Residence permit applications by foreign citizens increased in Finland by some 25 per cent in January–April 2008, compared to the corresponding period in 2007. An unprecedented amount of 6,198 residence permit applications were submitted during the first four months.

The applications for studies increased by 11 and the applications for work by 21 per cent. The numbers of residence permit applications on the basis of family ties increased by as many as 37 per cent from the corresponding period in 2007. The Finnish Immigration Service foresaw as early as last year that as work-related immigration increases, also the applications on the basis of family ties will increase.

Also the amount of decisions on residence permit applications rose at the beginning of the year by 28 per cent. The proportion of positive decisions was about 87 per cent. Despite the increase in the number of applications, the processing times have hardly been drawn out. The applications on the basis of family ties were processed even dozens of days faster than the year before. The processing times for applications for studies have lengthened due to certain applications submitted last year which require a lot of clarification.

40 applicants have already been granted asylum

The amount of asylum applications rose in January–April by 20 per cent from the year before. The biggest groups applying for asylum this year have been the Iraqis (150), the Somalis (50) and the Russians (44). Applications made by the Somalis have increased most rapidly.

During the first four months the number of applicants from Iraq was almost half of the amount during the whole last year (2007: 327). The reason for this might be the slightly different decision-making practice in Sweden, in other words Sweden’s negative decisions to some asylum applicants from Iraq.

Altogether 40 persons were granted asylum in January–April. The amount has clearly been growing: during the whole year 2007 68 foreigners were granted asylum, in 2006 the number was 38. When we examine the substantively solved applications (others than Dublin decisions and lapsed), 61 per cent of the ones who received a decision were allowed to stay in Finland either on the grounds of asylum or a residence permit.

Exact analyses of the residence permit and asylum issues can be found in Finnish on the Internet: www.migri.fi > Statistics.

Further information for the media:

residence permit issues: Head of Section Pauliina Helminen, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: pauliina.helminen@migri.fi
asylum issues: Director of Asylum Unit Esko Repo,
tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: esko.repo@migri.fi

22.5.2008

Year 2007 opened a period of changes

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:49:01 GMT

Year 2007 opened a period of changes

The last year of the Directorate of Immigration, 2007, was a time of major changes. At the end of the year the name was changed to the Finnish Immigration Service, following the government program. At the same time the visual image was renewed and more attention than earlier was drawn to openness and development of active customer service. The second cabinet of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen brought up the promotion of employment-based immigration, where the Immigration Service is one of the focal operators.

– Immigration issues are a matter of rather great importance in the European Union. Within the EU framework, decisions are constantly made that will have an impact on the operation of the Finnish Immigration Service after taking effect as legislation, explains Director General Jorma Vuorio.

Finland’s first Minister of Migration and European Affairs, Astrid Thors, launched an extensive project, lead by Ambassador Ole Norrback, with the objective of improving the operations of the immigration administration and the Finnish Immigration Service.

– The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of spring 2008, and we have great hopes for it, says Mr Vuorio.

Better service for all

The current slogan of the Finnish Immigration Service is ”Better service for all”. To prepare for this, we analysed how our most important interest groups understand the work of the Immigration Service and what they wish for it. Last year we also decided to establish an Advisory Board for the Immigration Service, and officials, labour market players, civic organisations and immigrant representatives were invited to participate.

– It is our duty to make sure that that the good ideas and initiatives by the Advisory Board with a wide expertise will be put into practice at the Immigration Service, emphasizes Mr. Vuorio, chairman of the Board.

An important step in long-term development of customer services was taken at the beginning of October, when the position of Director of Customer Service was created. The central target of the Director of Customer Service Hanna Koskinen is to develop the Finnish Immigration Service into a genuine service organisation, in which the foundations of planning the operations are customer-oriented.

The annual report of the Finnish Immigration Service (Directorate of Immigration) can be read on the website www.migri.fi > About us > Publications.

Further information for media: Director of Communications Tarja-Riitta Nissinen, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: tarja-riitta.nissinen@migri.fi

25.4.2008

DNA testing has united a record number of immigrant families

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:48:38 GMT

DNA testing has united a record number of immigrant families

Persons applying for a residence permit in Finland on the basis of family ties underwent a record number of DNA tests in 2007. While 150 applicants and their Finnish-based sponsors submitted themselves to DNA testing in 2006, the figure for last year rose to 500, the highest yet. Finland adopted DNA testing for the purpose of uniting families in June 2000, one of the first countries in Europe to do so.

The Finnish Immigration Service predicts the number of DNA tests in 2008 reaching at least the level achieved last year. One contributory factor will be the additional funds granted by the government for this purpose.

The single most important factor in the need for DNA testing has been the long-standing security situation in Somalia: relatively few applications for asylum or based on family ties are forthcoming while the country is at peace, but during periods of instability such as the country is experiencing at present the number increases rapidly. In 2006, for example, 404 decisions were made on applications submitted by Somalis on the basis of family ties, out of which 59 % (240) were positive. In 2007, when the situation in the country again became critical, the number of decisions concerning Somalis rose by over a half, to 628. The number of positive decisions also climbed, to 67 % (422).

The majority of DNA tests applied to Somalis, who are rarely able to prove their identity, let alone their family relationships. The opportunity to undergo DNA testing is often given to citizens of other African countries, and for family members of those arriving in Finland as part of the refugee quota from, for example, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. DNA testing is voluntary, the need for it being given separate consideration on an individual basis after family members have attended a hearing where both oral and written evidence is presented.

A purely biological relationship is not, however, sufficient for a positive decision on resident permit without the background of a genuine, permanent family life. A foster child, for example, could therefore be granted a resident permit on the basis of family ties if identifiable as an integral member of the family. Almost without exception the attitude of families applying for residence permit towards DNA testing is a positive one: over the years only two families have refused the test.

The Finnish Immigration Service takes decisions on the use of DNA testing and is responsible for costs, but the tests themselves are carried out by a health care professional. Testing in Finland is monitored by the police, and abroad by the Finnish Immigration Service, the Finnish mission or a police representative.

Further information: Senior Adviser Eeva-Maria Nieminen, tel. +358 71 873 3167, eeva-maria.nieminen@migri.fi

24.1.2008

Finnish Immigration Service aims to be better than its predecessor

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:48:07 GMT

Finnish Immigration Service aims to be better than its predecessor

The Directorate of Immigration will soon be known as the Finnish Immigration Service, and the name change is more than a mere facelift. The new bureau will be more service-oriented, more open and more active as a social actor than its predecessor.

One important step towards transparency will be taken at the beginning of the year with the launch of the Advisory Board for the Finnish Immigration Service. Invited members include immigrant representatives along with the traditional interest groups.

"The task of the advisory board is to discuss the development of the service, to produce associated proposals and for its members to contribute their expertise," says Director-General Jorma Vuorio, who came up with the idea.

The following bodies have been invited to join the Advisory Board:

City of Helsinki, Department of Immigration
Finnish League for Human Rights
Finnish Refugee Council
Refugee Advice Centre
Finnish Red Cross
Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities
Confederation of Finnish Industries
Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities
Finnish Ministry of the Interior, Immigration Department
Ministry of the Interior, Police Department
Border Guard
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Joutseno Reception Centre
Uusimaa Employment and Economic Development Centre
Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations (2 members + deputies)
Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, The Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland, and The Finnish Confederation of Salaried Employees (one shared member)
National Board of Education

If necessary, the members and tasks of the Advisory Board will be further defined during the spring after the completion of the end report on the review project commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior. Led by Ambassador Ole Norrback, the objective of the project is to develop immigration administration and more specifically, the Finish Immigration Service.

Service via telephone and Web

The aim is to strengthen contacts with new Finns in other ways, too – it is easier to improve the service once customer expectations are known.

"We will start by developing the Web-based feedback channels and by carrying out customer satisfaction questionnaires on our service," says Hanna Koskinen, the new director of customer service.

Electronic services will take a giant leap in 2009 with the introduction of the new cross-government electronic immigration procedure system, UMA. With the new system, customers can monitor their application's progress via Internet.

The telephone service will receive additional personnel first thing in January with the transfer of the switchboard to the service centre of the Ministry of the Interior, as the operators of the old switchboard will then be able to concentrate solely on customer service. On an average day, the Immigration Service receives 670 calls, with the majority precisely related to customer service.

Focus on service attitude across the board

The foundation for the development of services is the recent end report of the customer service work group. The report sets out several practical examples to highlight areas that need attention in the future. The key issue is the service attitude, which will now be cultivated across the board.

"Service attitude means reviewing the operations of the entire bureau and deciding how to improve it from the customer's point of view: what services should be developed, what kind of quality gauges are needed, how to measure customer satisfaction," Koskinen explains.

Processing times and contents must not be overlooked, but they should be reviewed as part of a whole when talking about services. Interaction with customers is equally important, and providing good service does not take any longer than poor service.

"Good service is a reflection of our other expertise," Koskinen believes.

31.12.2007

Better service for all - Directorate of Immigration changes its name to the Finnish...

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:47:46 GMT

Better service for all - Directorate of Immigration changes its name to the Finnish Immigration Service on 1 January 2008

The Directorate of Immigration will change its name to the Finnish Immigration Service on 1 January 2008. The name change is part of the immigration reform of the second cabinet of Prime Minister Vanhanen. A new unit has been formed under the Ministry of the Interior to coordinate all immigration and integration affairs.

The Finnish Immigration Service will carry out the same tasks as its predecessor, dealing with refugee matters, residence permits and citizenship. The immigration library will move from the Ministry of Labour to the Immigration Service right at the beginning of 2008. It will be integrated with the Immigration Service's existing library. The library will open in February. Other additional tasks of the bureau will be decided at a later date.

The Finnish Immigration Service, or Migri, has three regional agencies in Helsinki, Lappeenranta and Kuhmo.

A logo representing movement

A new logo has been designed for the Finnish Immigration Service, combining a timeless and simple shape with warm shades of red and grey. The logo was designed by Miuraad Oy.

"The logo has a lot of interpretations and symbolism," says Miura Merenmies-Tuominiemi from Miuraad. "The wing-like shape can be associated with flying, moving, searching for the new and looking towards the future, globalism and international mobility," Merenmies continues.

Finnish Immigration Service switchboard now centralised

The switchboard of the Immigration Service will be operated by the public administration service centre in Kajaani, which means that the bureau no longer has its own switchboard. The switchboard operators will move to the Immigration Service's customer service team to provide telephone support to customers. This move further strengthens the services offered by the Finnish Immigration Service.

Finnish Immigration Service contact details

Switchboard 071 873 0431
Fax: 071 873 0730
Email: maahanmuuttovirasto@migri.fi , firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Mailing address: P.O. Box 18 (Panimokatu 2 A) 00581 Helsinki, Finland
Website: www.migri.fi

Customer service
Tel. 071 873 3400
Lautatarhankatu 10, 00580 Helsinki, Finland

Immigration Library
Panimokatu 1, Helsinki, Finland
kirjasto@migri.fi

31.12.2007

International Social Service to trace guardians of underage asylum seekers arriving witho

Tue, 08 May 2007 10:47:24 GMT

International Social Service to trace guardians of underage asylum seekers arriving without a guardian

The Finnish Immigration Service signed a cooperation agreement with International Social Service (ISS) on 23.4.2007 concerning the tracing of actual guardians of underage asylum seekers arriving without a guardian.

ISS is an independent non-governmental organization dedicated, through its global network, to helping individuals and families with personal or social problems resulting from migration and international movement, such as adoption and guardianship disputes. A primary objective of the organization in all its operations is meeting the interest of the child. ISS cooperates with the UN, the International Red Cross and IOM (International Organization for Migration).

Regulations regarding tracing entered into force on 1.2.2007

According to a legislative amendment regarding tracing that entered into force on 1.2.2007 the actual guardian of an underage asylum seeker arriving without a guardian must be traced where possible. Responsibility for the tracing lies with the Finnish Immigration Service. The legislative amendment is based on international treaties to which Finland is bound.

- It is in the interest of the child to know where his or her guardians are residing, and all children have the right to personal relations and direct contacts with their parents. The objective of tracing is to re-establish the connection between an underage asylum seeker who has arrived in Finland and his or her parent or actual guardian residing in the home country or another country. Information obtained through the tracing process may also be useful with respect to possible family reunification in the child’s home country, residence country or Finland, says Senior Adviser Monica Harju from the Asylum Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service.

- The purpose of tracing is to help the Finnish Immigration Service base its decision on facts. Information obtained through the tracing process may also be useful with respect to possible family reunification in the child’s home country, residence country or Finland, Harju says.

The fact that asylum matters are confidential is taken into consideration in the tracing process. Furthermore, steps are taken to ensure that the tracing does not endanger the safety of the child or his or her loved ones in the country of origin under any circumstances.

Regardless of the tracing process, the child will be granted international protection where the need for such protection is established. Applications for international protection are always processed case by case.

The Finnish Immigration Service is currently charting possible parties for providing the services of psychologists and other experts familiar with immigrant children’s matters. Tracing is a challenging task, for which the Finnish Immigration Service prepared through a project funded by ERF (European Refugee Fund). The experience and expertise obtained from the project were useful with respect to future operational planning. The same challenge faces other EU countries as well. www.migri.fi

7.5.2007

Deadline for making citizenship declaration 31 May 2008

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 10:47:03 GMT

Deadline for making citizenship declaration 31 May 2008

Former Finnish citizens living abroad and their descendants have the opportunity to acquire Finnish citizenship

The current Nationality Act entered into force on 1 June 2003. It gives former Finnish citizens the opportunity to re-acquire Finnish citizenship by declaration, if they have lost it when acquiring the citizenship of another country, for example. Descendants of former and current Finnish citizens may also acquire Finnish citizenship by declaration, even if they have never had citizenship.

The period for making the declaration was limited in the Act to five years, meaning that the declaration must be made at the latest on 31 May 2008. A little over one year remains for making the declaration.

“It is now high time to consider making a citizenship declaration. The deadline for making the declaration is categorical, after which it will no longer be possible for former Finnish citizens living abroad or their descendants to acquire Finnish citizenship,” reminds Director Tiina Suominen of the Finnish Immigration Service’s Nationality Unit.

Suominen advises people to think about the advantages and disadvantages of Finnish citizenship: “Even though it might not be useful for you yourself, it might be wise to consider the matter from the point of view of your underaged children. One of the obvious advantages of citizenship is that you obtain a Finnish passport, which enables free movement within the EU.”

Citizenship also carries obligations. “Males considering citizenship should contact Finnish authorities to find out whether they will have to do compulsory military service in Finland, or whether they can be exempted from it,” stresses Suominen.

Since the nationality legislation of countries is varied, those considering making the declaration should also find out whether acquiring Finnish citizenship will affect their current citizenship. This may also take time, so it is advisable to initiate the proceedings well before 31 May 2008.

Citizenship declarations are made to the Finnish Immigration Service, but those living abroad may submit the declaration only at a Finnish mission. The declaration is subject to a charge, except for war veterans.

So far, over 7,500 former Finnish citizens and their descendants have acquired Finnish citizenship.

Relevant information on the Internet

Finnish Immigration Service: www.migri.fi

Local Register Offices: www.maistraatti.fi

Finnish missions abroad: http://formin.finland.fi

Finnish Defence Forces: www.mil.fi

Civil Service Centre: www.sivarikeskus.fi

25.4.2007

Child´s personal residence permit sticker with photo

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 11:46:38 GMT

Child´s personal residence permit sticker with photo

The personal residence permit sticker with photo is being introduced for under-aged children. As a result, when applying for a residence permit after 1.12.2006 a separate application form must be filled in for every under-aged child. If children do not possess their own travel document, the residence permit sticker will be attached to the passport or other travel document of a parent or guardian.

For the residence permit sticker with photo the applicant or his or her representative should send, together with the residence permit application, a photo taken according to the police passport photo guidelines (issued in summer 2005). A photo complying with quality standards has been a requirement since 1.10.2006.

Fee for residence permit application

A handling fee is charged for the residence permit application. Applications for children being added to the passport or travel document of a parent or guardian are also subject to a fee. At present, a first residence permit costs 175 euro for adults and 50 euros for an under-aged child.

The Finnish Immigration Service fees are based on the Ministry of the Interior decree, for which changes are in preparation to cover the inclusion of a photo in the residence permit. Possible changes to handling fees will take effect from the beginning of 2007.

Residence permit with photo as a security factor

A residence permit sticker with photo increases public security, because it makes it easier to ascertain the identity of the residence permit holder. Introduction of the residence permit sticker with photo for under-aged children makes it more difficult to transport children illegally across the border and will thus help to prevent child trafficking.

The police passport photo guidelines can be found on the police internet pages: www.police.fi > Licences > Passport > Photo guidelines. The residence permit application form and the Finnish Immigration Service bulletin Residence Permit Sticker with Photo can be found on the Finnish Immigration Service internet pages: www.migri.fi > Application forms. Finnish diplomatic missions give advice in various languages on matters relating to application for residence permit at the following Internet address: http://formin.finland.fi/.

the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and the Finnish Immigration Service
Helsinki, 28.11.2006

Introducing the residence permit sticker with photo

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 10:46:10 GMT

Introducing the residence permit sticker with photo

Finland will start issuing residence permit stickers with photo. The photo applied to the sticker must be of high quality. The new procedure will be introduced gradually. All residence permits issued following an application lodged after 30 November 2006 will have a photo.

Anyone applying for a residence permit, or their representative, must provide a photo for the photo sticker conforming to the Passport photo guidelines issued by the police in June 2005. A photo must be submitted with the application as of 1 October 2006.

Introducing the photo sticker will increase general security, as it will be easier to ascertain the identity of the permit holder. It will also be more difficult to forge a residence permit with photo. Photo stickers have already been introduced on visas.

Own residence permit sticker to children

Moreover, under-aged children will also be provided with a residence permit sticker with photo even if they have no passport or other travel document of their own. Therefore, a separate residence permit application must be filled in and submitted for each under-aged child as of 1 December 2006. This will make it less easy to transport children illegally across borders and will thus help prevent trafficking in human beings.

A uniform format for residence permits for third country nationals will be laid down by a Council Regulation. This format includes space for a photo. Instead of specifying a photo sticker, the EU policy is to introduce a residence permit card with photo within a few years. The exact date has not yet been set. There are also plans in the European Union to add other biometric identifiers, such as fingerprints, to visas and residence permits.

Introduction of the residence permit sticker with photo was prepared by a working group appointed by the Ministry of the Interior. The Ministry required the matter to be processed with urgency for security reasons and because the Finnish Immigration Service already has the technical resources required.

The Passport photo guidelines are available on the police website at www.poliisi.fi (English version) > Licences > Passport > Photo guidelines

the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Labour and the Finnish Immigration Service
Helsinki, 25 September 2006

Webservice Migrating to Finland opened

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 10:45:47 GMT

Webservice Migrating to Finland opened

The Finnish Finnish Immigration Service has again expanded its electronic services for its customers. From the newly introduced Moving To Finland service a foreigner planning a move to Finland will get first hand knowledge of whether he requires a visa or a residence permit and what the requirements are.

The aim of the Migrating To Finland service is to help people who want to move to Finland and are applying for their first residence permit. The service gives information about facts and circumstances affecting application for a residence permit. The service will also inform about facts that may be an obstacle to obtaining a residence permit.

"We wish to serve our clients more efficiently with our new webservice. Those planning a move to Finland can use the service to clarify their situation with the minimum of anxiety. Clients are also spared queuing on the telephone, getting immediate answers to their questions at a time which suits them", points out Heikki Taskinen, the Directorate's Immigration Unit Director.

"The service is easy to use and takes up only a few minutes. Answers requested of users include information about length of stay, the reasons for moving and means of support. A result obtained from the Migrating To Finland service gives an indication of what will happen when applying for a residence permit, but is not a binding promise. The service can be used entirely anonymously, and information is not recorded for official use, explains Anna Hyppönen, Senior Adviser at the Immigration Unit, who took part in planning the service.

Users deciding to apply for a residence permit can print the application form from the Finnish Immigration Service's website. An application may not be submitted in electronic form. The Migrating To Finland service is on the Finnish Immigration Service's website at www.migri.fi/migratingtofinland.

The Migrating To Finland service has been implemented by Accenture in close co-operation with the Finnish Immigration Service as part of a larger electronic communication development project in the Directorate.

For further information, please contact: Senior Adviser Anna Hyppönen, (09) 4765 5833, Finnish Immigration Service Manager Marko Rauhala, 040 7725 305, Accenture

20.6.2006

New biometric passports to be introduced on 21 August 2006

Thu, 01 Jun 2006 10:45:23 GMT

New biometric passports to be introduced on 21 August 2006

Finland will start to introduce biometric passports as from 21 August 2006. The new passports will be more secure than the existing passports, thanks to biometric identifiers. The introduction of biometric passports is a joint project of all EU Member States which helps to fight passport fraud and forgery. With the reform, the Finnish passport will get a new design with additional security features and its period of validity will change. Moreover, the processing period for passport applications will shorten and children can no longer be included on the passport of a parent.

The new biometric passport's data page will contain a microchip storing the same data that is printed on the data page: facial image, personal data and passport data. The chip will also contain security features which help to prevent passport fraud and forgery and the misuse of data stored on the chip.

As from 21 August 2006, Finnish citizens can apply for a biometric passport at any police service point or Finnish mission abroad. Applicants must have with them a photo which meets the requirements set in the passport photo guidelines issued in June 2005 and shows their features clearly, thus making them easily identifiable. The new guidelines specify, for example, that the expression must be neutral and the face must be free of shadows.

New biometric passports are issued for a maximum of five years. The passport fee will not rise significantly. The average processing time for passport applications is one week from the date of submitting the application. For an additional fee, it is even possible to obtain a passport within 24 hours through fast track or express service. The fee for a passport issued by a Finnish mission abroad is EUR 80.

Alien's passports, refugee travel documents and diplomatic and service passports issued on and after 21 August 2006 will contain a chip and biometric identifier.

Passports of the current type will continue to be valid travel documents after the introduction of the new biometric passport. Citizens will not need to exchange their valid passports for new biometric passports. All passports will remain valid until their expiry date.

Minister of the Interior Mr Rajamäki: Biometrics - a way of strengthening security

"Following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the European Union took urgent action to improve security features in travel documents and to make related regulations legally binding. One way of strengthening security is to make use of biometrics. With this in mind, the Council of the European Union adopted in December 2004 a Regulation on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States", says Minister of the Interior Kari Rajamäki.

Under the Regulation, passports must contain a chip which stores the passport holder's facial image and fingerprints as biometric identifiers. The transition period for the introduction of a facial image is 18 months and for the introduction of fingerprints 36 months following the adoption of the technical specifications for passports. The facial image must be included on passports by 28 August 2006 at the latest. As regards fingerprints, technical specifications have not yet been adopted but it is expected that they be adopted in spring 2006. Thus, fingerprints will not probably be introduced until early 2009.

According to Mr Rajamäki, Finland has, from the very beginning, been actively involved in making travel documents more secure. Finland will introduce biometric passports in accordance with the timetable set out by the EU. "I am very pleased that the new Finnish passport with improved security features will not be significantly more expensive than the existing passport", emphasises Mr Rajamäki.

A few other EU Member States have already started to issue biometric passports and others are trying to comply with the timetables set by the EU and the United States. However, all EU countries will probably not meet the deadline set for the introduction of biometric passports. In fact, some countries may be at risk of being excluded from the US Visa Waiver Programme.

Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Immigration Service

31 May 2006

The Finnish Immigration Service´s customer service will be improved

Thu, 29 Dec 2005 11:43:43 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service´s customer service will be improved

The customer service at the Finnish Immigration Service's office in Helsinki will be improved. The customer service will be open as from 2 January 2006 every weekday from Monday to Friday between 9.00 and 15.00 for those customers who wish to visit the office personally.

At the same time the system of appointed times will be abandoned.

Documents may be submitted to the office as before during office hours from 8.00 to 16.15. The address of the customer service is Lautatarhankatu 10, Helsinki.

The telephone service will continue three days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The immigration unit answers inquiries from 10.00 to 11.00. The regional unit answers inquiries regarding refugee and asylum matters from 14.00 to 15.00. The nationality unit answers inquiries from 14.00 to 15.00. The telephone number is (09) 476 5500.

General information will be given by telephone each weekday from 8.00 to 16.15. The telephone number is 0300 44300 (price 0.08 € min + local access charge).

Applications are still submitted to Finnish missions abroad or to the local police in Finland. No applications can be submitted to the Directorate of Immigration.

The aim of the extended opening hours is to improve the customer service and the possibility of the customers to reach the office. By means of general information the Finnish Immigration Services aims at improving the quality of the applications in order to decrease the number of clarifications required. Thus the processing times of applications can be shortened.

Helsinki 29.12.2005

Apply for citizenship by declaration while you still can

Fri, 02 Dec 2005 11:43:21 GMT

Apply for citizenship by declaration while you still can

Finnish citizenship still possible for former Finnish citizens and their descendants

December is the time for being with the family and contacting distant relatives, if only by Christmas card. The beginning of December is also the time when Finland celebrates Independence Day. It is a good time for thinking what family, Finnishness and roots mean to each of us.

Finnish citizenship means the legal relationship between the State of Finland and an individual person and includes bilateral rights, such as the right to vote in national elections, and obligations, such as military service. It also allows free movement and other rights in the EU region. Citizenship is also an emotional matter, an experience of belonging to a certain group.

Declaration by the deadline

The present Nationality Act came into force on June 1, 2003. From that point former Finnish citizens have been able to obtain Finnish citizenship by declaration, if they have lost it, for example, when obtaining citizenship of another country. Furthermore, children of former or present Finnish citizens have been able to obtain Finnish citizenship by declaration even if they have never held Finnish citizenship before.

There is a deadline for declaration and May 31, 2008 is the final date for starting the process. Looking back to the entry into force of the Nationality Act and looking forward to this deadline, we are now at the mid-way point. Since the Act came into force, over 5,000 former Finnish citizens or their descendants have obtained citizenship.

"Now is a good time to start considering submitting a declaration. The deadline is unconditional and obtaining Finnish citizenship subsequently will be much more difficult for former Finnish citizens and their descendants," points out Tiina Suominen, Director of Nationality Division at the Directorate of Immigration.

Tiina Suominen encourages us to think about what benefits or drawbacks Finnish citizenship carries: "Even though you might feel that it is of no benefit to you personally, it is worth thinking about in terms of children under the age of 18. The clear advantage is obtaining a Finnish passport."

Updating personal details in the Finnish population data system

It can be expected that declarations will come in a rush as the deadline approaches and the times for processing the declarations will be extended. So the wise thing to do is set the wheels in motion in good time. Processing will be speeded up if the information about you and your family is up-to-date in the Finnish population data system. You can check your own information from your local register office or from the service unit of the Vaasa local register office in Pietarsaari.

You can submit a declaration for citizenship abroad and there is no normal demand about a period of residency in Finland. Nor is it necessary to have Finnish or Swedish language skills. Once the time limit expires, it will become impossible to make an application from abroad.

Further information about the declaration for citizenship and how to submit it can be found on the migri.fi website under the heading Citizenship > Acquiring Finnish Citizenship > Declaration. The contact information for the local register offices can be found at www.maistraatti.fi.

2.12.2005

Web service 'Finnish citizenship?' available in English and Swedish

Wed, 30 Nov 2005 11:42:52 GMT

Web service 'Finnish citizenship?' available in English and Swedish

The web service "Finnish citizenship?" was announced last summer. Now the service is also available in English and in Swedish. The service can be found on the websites of the Finnish Immigration Service: www.migri.fi.

The aim of the service "Finnish citizenship?" is to help persons who are interested in acquiring Finnish citizenship. The service gives information on facts and circumstances that are examined when processing an application for citizenship. The user gets a picture of his or her situation by means of the service and can assess whether he or she meets the requirements for naturalisation. The service also informs of the facts that may be an obstacle to naturalisation.

It is easy to use the service and it takes only a few minutes. The service asks questions of the residence in Finland, language skills and integrity. The result is approximate, so it is not a binding promise of acquiring Finnish citizenship. The user can use the service anonymously. The information given by him or her is not registered by the authorities.

More information: Tiina Suominen, Director, Finnish Immigration Service

Over 5,000 former Finnish citizens or their descendants have regained Finnish citizenship

Wed, 24 Aug 2005 10:42:26 GMT

Over 5,000 former Finnish citizens or their descendants have regained Finnish citizenship

The new Nationality Act came into force in June 2003. By July 2005 a total of 5,662 former Finnish citizens or persons with a Finnish or former Finnish citizen as a parent had submitted a declaration of naturalisation. The largest numbers of declarations were submitted by present citizens of the United States (1,210), Sweden (1,030), Canada (738), Australia (606) and Switzerland (466). In total, they represent 80 different nationalities.

5,321 persons of those who submitted a declaration have already acquired Finnish citizenship. Finnish citizenship was granted to 2,971 former Finnish citizens and 2,350 persons with a Finnish citizen or former Finnish citizen as a parent. The number of women (2,806) is slightly higher than that of men (2,505). Among the former Finnish citizens the largest age group is those aged between 36 and 60 (1,280). 1,026 persons are over 60 years old. Among the descendants the largest age group is those aged between 18 and 35 (1,313). 412 persons are under 18 years.

The new nationality act came into force on June 1, 2003. The new act accepts multiple nationality (dual nationality) to an increasing extent. A former Finnish citizen who has lost his or her Finnish citizenship may also regain his or her Finnish citizenship by submitting a declaration. Persons with a Finnish citizen or former Finnish citizen as a parent may also acquire Finnish citizenship by declaration. The declaration must be submitted by May 31, 2008 at the latest.

Declaration of naturalisation

Former Finnish citizens / Persons with a Finnish citizen or former Finnish citizen as a parent (pdf)

Further information: Tiina Suominen, Director of the Nationality Division

August 24, 2005

Webservice ”Finnish Citizenship?” opened

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 10:42:00 GMT

Webservice ”Finnish Citizenship?” opened

The Finnish Immigration Service has increased its electronic services. Persons interested in acquiring Finnish citizenship may use the service “Finnish citizenship?” as a tool when applying for Finnish citizenship. The service gives information on the requirements for naturalisation.

The aim of the service “Finnish citizenship?” is to help persons who are interested in acquiring Finnish citizenship. The service gives information on facts and circumstances that are examined when processing an application for citizenship. The user gets a picture of his or her situation by means of the service and can assess whether he or she meets the requirements for naturalisation. The service also informs of the facts that may be an obstacle to naturalisation. The service helps the applicant to understand what he or she should do in order to acquire Finnish citizenship or when the required period of residence will be fulfilled.

The service “Finnish citizenship?” has been implemented by Accenture in close co-operation with the Finnish Immigration Service as part of a large development project regarding electronic communication in the Directorate.

“We wish by means of the service “Finnish citizenship?” to serve our clients more efficiently. Clients who are interested in the requirements for naturalisation may find out their situation easily by means of the service. The clients do not have to wait on the telephone because they can get answers to their questions when it is convenient to them,“ says Tiina Suominen, Nationality Unit Director.

“The service “Finnish citizenship?” is a good example of how the customers of administration can be better served by making the facts and circumstances relating to decision-making easy to understand. The administration also saves time as the number of unnecessary applications falls. There are many uses for this kind of service, in the permit administration in particular,” says Marko Rauhala, a leading consult at Accenture.

If the user decides to apply for Finnish citizenship he must use a form which can be printed out from the websites of the Finnish Immigration Service. The application cannot be submitted in electronic form.

The service “Finnish citizenship?” was announced on 20 June 2005. In the autumn the service will also be available in Swedish and in English. The service can be found on the websites of the Directorate of Immigration: www.migri.fi/kansalaiseksi

---

About The Finnish Immigration Service

The Finnish Immigration Service implements official Finnish immigration and refugee policy, which has the promotion of controlled immigration as its central aim. The Directorate handles and decides matters relating to aliens’ entry into and residence in the country as well as refugee status and Finnish citizenship. The Directorate also maintains the register of aliens.

The number of applications submitted to the Directorate and other similar matters amount to some 40,000 annually. The number of employees is 230. The Directorate functions in four different locations: Helsinki, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, Kuhmo and Lappeenranta. The home page is www.migri.fi.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With more than 110,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$13.67 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

21.6.2005

Focus shift from operational efficiency to stabilisation

Wed, 04 May 2005 10:41:32 GMT

Focus shift from operational efficiency to stabilisation

Finnish Immigration Service Annual Report 2004

In 2004, the Finnish Immigration Service focused heavily on development and efficiency improvement. To reach the goals, several projects with future implications were launched in the Directorate. Stabilisation was chosen as a theme for 2005.

In February, the Ministry of the Interior initiated a project aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the Finnish Immigration Service. The project conformed to the performance plan. The goals were to improve the service capacity, to shorten the time used for processing asylum applications and citizenship applications, to start the regionalisation project and to utilize the regional units effectively in decision-making.

“The efficiency improvement and the changes aim at improving the service capacity and increasing transparency, says Jorma Vuorio, Director-General.

Regional units will improve overall performance

The decision to regionalise the Directorate’s operations was made at the end of March. The Finnish Immigration Service itself remained located in Helsinki, but part of its functions were transferred to new offices opened in Kuhmo and Lappeenranta. Preparations were also started to open a new office at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.

“The functions in the Regional Division started well. There is a strong spirit in the regional offices and the personnel aim at good results. We have received good feedback. In 2005, the aim is to stabilise the functions in the offices, says Esko Repo, Regional Division Director.

Record number of asylum seekers

The Refugee and Asylum Division faced big challenges in 2004. The goal was to make a decision for each pending asylum application that had been filed by the end of 2003 before the new Aliens Act took effect.

In 2004, a total of 3,861 asylum seekers arrived in Finland and a total of 4,758 decisions were made. The number of applicants rose by 20 per cent compared with 2003. “ Both Finnish records”, says Jorma Peitsalo, Director. “Nearly 60 per cent of the applicants were so-called Dublin cases i.e. the applicants had already filed an application in another EU-country. The percentage is the highest in Europe”.

The new Aliens Act which took effect at the beginning of May lead to changes in the practical functions. The new Act required extensive training and learning of new working methods.

Electronic processing

In March, preparations were started to process the asylum applications electronically. “The aim is that all important processes in the Directorate of Immigration shall be electronic before 2007. This will both improve the efficiency of the processing time and shorten it, improve the ability to control the process and save expenses, says Kaarina Koskinen, Director.

The economic situation of the Finnish Immigration Service developed favourably. The overall productivity grew and the performance goals were achieved.

Annual report 2004 (in Finnish, English summary)

4.5.2005

The Finnish Immigration Service will begin to administer the queue of returnees

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 11:40:55 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service will begin to administer the queue of returnees

The administering of the queue of Ingrian-Finnish returnees was transferred from the Finnish missions to the Finnish Immigration Service as from the beginning of December. The transfer does not cause any changes in the application process, nor does it require any measures by the returnees. They will still have to contact the Finnish missions but the administering of the queue i.e. the listing of people who will be invited to a preparation course or an interview will take place at the Finnish Immigration Service.

More than 20,000 people in Russia and some 2,000 people in Estonia are queuing at present.

Since the year 1990 approximately 27,000 - 30,000 returnees with their family members have moved to Finland from the former Soviet Union.

More information: Head of Result Unit Olli Koskipirtti

Helsinki, 7 December 2004

Vesa Hagström appointed data administration director at the Directorate of immigration

Tue, 30 Nov 2004 11:40:18 GMT

Vesa Hagström appointed data administration director at the Directorate of immigration

Head of services, M.Sc. (Eng.) Vesa Hagström has been appointed data administration director at the Finnish Immigration Service as from 1.1.2005. The data administration director is head of the result unit. His duties include the development and maintenance of the Directorate's databanks, information technology services and information technology processes.

The Finnish Immigration Service's most important data system is the register of aliens which is also used by several other authorities.

Hagström was previously employed by Fujitsu Services Oy. At Fujitsu he worked as an expertise, a service and a project manager and was engaged in the development of business activities. At Fujitsu Hagström participated in the development of the Directorate's processing system.

The vacancy was announced for the first time on 30.6.2004 and again on 8.11.2004. The vacancy was applied for by 32 persons.

3,011 persons wished to regain their Finnish citizenship

Tue, 22 Jun 2004 10:39:55 GMT

3,011 persons wished to regain their Finnish citizenship

During the first year that the new Nationality Act was in force a total of 3,011 former Finnish citizens or persons with a former Finnish citizen as a parent submitted a declaration in order to regain their Finnish citizenship. They represent a total of 78 different countries as regards their citizenship. The largest number of declarations were submitted by present citizens of the United States (644), Sweden (590), Canada (350), Australia (291) and Switzerland (277).

2,490 persons of those who submitted a declaration have already acquired Finnish citizenship. Finnish citizenship was granted to 1,569 former Finnish citizens and 921 persons with a Finnish citizen or former Finnish citizen as a parent. The new nationality act came into force on June 1, 2003.

The new act accepts multiple nationality ('dual nationality') to an increasing extent. This means that a Finnish citizen does not lose his or her Finnish citizenship on becoming the citizen of another country. A former Finnish citizen who has lost his or her Finnish citizenship may also regain his or her Finnish citizenship by submitting a declaration. Persons with a Finnish citizen or former Finnish citizen as a parent may also a acquire Finnish citizenship by declaration. The declaration must be submitted by May 31, 2008 at the latest.

Further information

Tiina Suominen, Director of the Nationality Division

22.6.2004

A year of change

Fri, 14 May 2004 10:39:28 GMT

A year of change

The operations of the Finnish Immigration Service were influenced by three significant factors during 2003: the laws under amendment, the regionalisation of the Directorate's operations, and an increased operational efficiency evidenced in particular by the decreased processing time for applications.

Among the major changes brought about by the new Nationality Act was not only a more extensive acceptance of multinationality but also the possibility of regaining Finnish citizenship through a declaration to the authorities. By the end of the year, nearly 1,700 former Finnish citizens and their offspring had submitted an application to regain Finnish nationality.

The Finnish Immigration Service also prepared for the new Aliens Act that came into force on 1 May 2004, in accordance with which the responsibility of the police for asylum interviews and the processing of residence permits applied for through Finnish diplomatic missions abroad are transferred to the Directorate of Immigration. The preparatory work requires, among other things, an examination of implementation procedures, a change in the aliens' register, and a complete updating of the information sheets and the Directorate's Web pages.

Operations go regional and online

According to clarifications on the regionalisation of the Directorate of Immigration, the authority will found a new regional Saimen unit in Lappeenranta, establishing the experimental Kuhmo office as the Kainuu regional unit, and it will also open a refugee and asylum office at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

In keeping with the electronic business strategy, an extensive development project was launched; it will continue until 2008. First, the Directorate's asylum procedure will go online, which is expected to significantly shorten processing time and result in cost savings.

Productivity reached a satisfactory level

The total productivity of the Finnish Immigration Service was satisfactory, although the number of issues resolved seemed to diminish. Positive financial results demand preparation for demanding projects that will become topical during 2004.

In total, 2003 saw 39,659 applications submitted and 39,806 decisions issued. The processing times remained nearly the same as before. There were 3,221 asylum seekers, of whom nearly half had applied for asylum previously from another country in the European Union.

Directorate of Immigration Annual Report 2003

Helsinki, 7 May 2004

The Finnish Immigration Service web pages updated

Mon, 03 May 2004 14:03:07 GMT

The Finnish Immigration Service web pages updated

The Finnish Immigration Service published its updated external web pages on 1 May 2004, at the same time as the new Finnish Aliens Act came into force. The pages are available at the usual web address: www.uvi.fi.

The pages have been updated visually, as well as in terms of functionality and content. The information has been arranged per customer group so that, for example, new applicant customers can find the information needed more easily and quickly. Current news has also been transferred to the index page.

Employees, the self-employed, students, returnees and family members can find information about the new act on residence permits and its requirements, the application procedure, fees and waiting-time for decisions. You may also print out application forms from our website.

By increasing the number of links from our pages to the websites of other authorities, associations and organisations, we can help our customers make connections with other parties that can provide guidance on issues relating to moving to Finland.

The content of the main pages are also published in Swedish and English. Parts of the pages have already been translated, and we aim to complete the rest of the translations during the month of May. From each page you can directly access the equivalent page in another language. The most important facts concerning residence permit issues will also be translated into French and Russian.

According to statistics, the web pages of the Finnish Immigration Service were visited by nearly 40,000 people during the period January – October 2003.

3.5.2004

The processing of asylum applications starts with a clean sheet

Mon, 03 May 2004 10:38:28 GMT

The processing of asylum applications starts with a clean sheet

As the new Aliens Act comes into force, the Finnish Immigration Service can begin the interviews of asylum seekers and the decision-making on asylum applications with a clean sheet, as nearly all asylum applications submitted prior to the year 2004 were resolved by 1 May 2004 in line with an agreement made between the Ministry of the Interior and the Directorate of Immigration.

Only about 70 old applications are pending a decision. Most of them are so-called Dublin cases, which are waiting for a response to recall requests. Applicants who have previously applied for asylum from another EU country relate to the Dublin cases. At the end of 2003, a total of 1,400 asylum applications were pending a decision.

In 2004, 895 (concerning 1 244 persons) applications have been submitted, of which approximately a third has already been resolved. The cases include, among others, the applications made by the Romas from Slovakia. The figures above are the number of applications, not the number of applicants.

These good results have demanded a considerable effort by our personnel. The objective was reached by working overtime, developing new work processes and prioritising tasks. Nevertheless, all applications have been processed individually.

3.5.2004

3,184 asylum applicants in 2003

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:02:43 GMT

3,184 asylum applicants in 2003

A total of 3,184 persons sought asylum in Finland in 2003. This is 7.5 per cent less than in 2002. That year their number rose to 3,443. The largest group (561 applicants) came from Serbia and Montenegro and its predecessors the former Yugoslavia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The second largest group were the Bulgarians (287) and the third largest group the Russians (288).

Seven applicants were granted asylum

Seven applicants were granted asylum in 2003. 494 asylum applicants were granted a residence permit, 142 of which on the basis of the need for protection and 345 for other reasons. 15 per cent of all asylum decisions (favourable, negative, annulled) were favourable.

2,443 applicants received a negative decision on their application. They were granted neither asylum nor a residence permit. 547 applicants received a negative decision under normal procedure and 1,896 applicants under accelerated procedure. The application of 383 applicants were dismissed because they either annulled their application or left the country.

Asylum applications were processed on average in 318 days in 2003.

The numbers above are preliminary. The final statistics will be ready after the middle of March.

27.1.2004