Alien, foreign national, foreign citizen
fin Ulkomaalainen
swe Utlänning

A person who is not a Finnish citizen.

Alien's passport
fin Muukalaispassi
swe Främlingspass

A travel document, which can be granted to an alien if he or she cannot acquire a passport from the authorities of his or her home country, or if he or she is involuntarily stateless, or for some other specific reason. An alien's passport is granted to a person who has received a residence permit based on the subsidiary protection.

Application for Finnish citizenship
fin Kansalaisuushakemus
swe Medborgarskapsansökan

Right to acquire Finnish citizenship on application. It is granted when the requirements laid down in the Nationality Act are met. Exemptions can be made on grounds laid down in the Act.

Asylum
fin Turvapaikka
swe Asyl

A residence permit granted to a foreigner in the asylum procedure on the basis of his or her refugee status.

Asylum applicant/seeker
fin Turvapaikanhakija
swe Asylsökande

A person who asks for protection from and right of residence in a foreign country. The applicant receives asylum status if he or she is granted asylum. During the asylum procedure, the authorities will also examine and decide whether asylym seeker may be issued a residence permit on some other grounds.

Asylum investigation
fin Turvapaikkatutkinta
swe Asylutredning

A procedure in which the police or the Frontier Guard first establish the identification and travel route of the asylum seeker. After that, the Finnish Immigration Service interviews the applicant in order to establish the grounds for the asylum application.

Birthplace principle
fin Syntymämaaperiaate
swe Territorialprincipen

A secondary principle adopted by Finnish legislation according to which a child born in Finland receives Finnish citizenship based on his or her birthplace if he or she does not receive the citizenship of any foreign nation.

Citizenship, Nationality
fin Kansalaisuus
swe Medborgarskap

Membership of a certain state. Includes both rights and obligations, e.g. full political
rights and the right to receive diplomatic protection abroad.

Country of nationality/citizenship
fin Kansalaisuusvaltio
swe Nationalstat

The state whose citizen the person in question is.

Definition of citizenship status
fin Kansalaisuuden määrittäminen
swe Bestämmandet av medborgarsskapsstauts

In unclear situations, the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland establishes the country of which a person is to be considered a citizen.

Deportation
fin Karkottaminen (maasta karkottaminen)
swe Utvisning

Procedure for removing a person from the country. If an alien possesses, or has possessed, a residence permit but a decision has been made to remove the person from the country, he or she will be deported (see also refusal of entry). 

Detention
fin Säilöönotto
swe Tagande i förvar

Act of safeguarding, means of monitoring. An alien can be placed in detention, for example if it is to be expected that he or she will go into hiding in order to avoid refusal of entry or deportation. An asylum seeker can be placed in detention if it is necessary to establish an uncertain identity.

Dual nationality/Multiple nationality
fin Kaksoiskansalaisuus/monikansalaisuus
swe Dubbelt medboragarskap/Flerfaldigt medborgarskap

A person may have dual or multiple nationality.  Dual nationality is a colloquial expression.

EEA
fin ETA
swe EES

European Economic Area

EU
fin EU
swe EU

European Union

EU citizen and an equivalent person
fin EU kansalainen ja häneen rinnastettava
swe EU medborgare och med dem jämförbara personer

Finland is a member state of the EU, along with Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Citizens of EU countries have the right to move freely within the territory of the union. The regulations concerning free movement apply also to the citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway based on the EEA Agreement, as well as Switzerland based on a special agreement with EU.

Finnish birth
fin Suomalainen syntyperä
swe Finländsk härkomst

A foreign national is of Finnish birth if this person has been a Finnish citizen or at least one of this person’s parents or grandparents is or has been a Finnish citizen by birth.

Finnish citizen
fin Suomen kansalainen
swe Finsk medborgare

A person who by birth, or later by some other means, has received Finnish citizenship.

Finnish citizen by birth
fin Syntyperäinen Suomen kansalainen
swe Infödd finsk medborgare 

A person who has received Finnish citizenship by birth.

Finnish citizenship by declaration
fin Kansalaisuusilmoitus
swe Medborgarskapsansmälan

Right to acquire Finnish citizenship by declaration. Applies only to certain groups of people defined in the Nationality Act.

Finnish expatriot
fin Ulkosuomalainen
swe Utomlands bosatta finländare / utlandsfinländare

A former or current Finnish citizen who resides abroad, and his or her descendant who regards him- or herself as a Finn.

Foreign workforce
fin Ulkomainen työvoima
swe Utländsk arbetskraft

Foreign nationals who have the right to work in Finland.

Humanitarian protection
fin Humanitaarinen suojelu
swe Humanitärt skydd

Reason for granting a residence permit. 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.

Immigrant/Emigrant
fin Maahanmuuttaja/Maastamuuttaja
swe Invandrare/Utvandrare

A person moving from one country to another. A general concept which applies to all migrants with different reasons for moving.

Inheritance principle
fin Periytymisperiaate
swe Härstamningsprincipen

A primary principle adopted by Finnish nationality legislation concerning the transfer of nationality to a child on the basis of the nationality of the child's parent.

International protection
fin Kansainvälinen suojelu
swe Internationellt skydd

International protection refers to refugee status or a residence permit granted on the basis of a subsidiary protection or on the basis of a humanitarian protection.

Legal residence
fin Laillinen oleskelu
swe Laglig vistelse

In this context, legal residence in the country means residence by a foreign national with appropriate and valid permits. Residence by a foreign national in the country is legal on the basis of a valid visa, exemption from visa or a valid residence permit.

Manifestly unfounded asylum application
fin Ilmeisen perusteeton turvapaikkahakemus
swe Uppenbart ogrundad asylansökan

An asylum application is manifestly unfounded if
- no serious human rights offences or other equivalent grounds, which are related to non-refoulement (i.e. non-return) or fear of persecution, have been presented to support it, or if the claims presented are clearly unconvincing.
-  it is obvious that the applicant intends to misuse the asylum procedure
-  the applicant has arrived in Finland from a safe country of asylum or origin, to which he or she can be returned and, for some compelling reason, the Finnish Immigration Service has not been able to make a decision on the application within the time limit.

Migrant
fin Siirtolainen
swe Migrant, In-/utvandrare

A person who moves from one country to another in order to build a new life in a new country. Emigrant or immigrant.

National/Ethnic origin
fin Kansallisuus
swe Nationalitet

Ethnic background. A person who belongs to a certain group of people (e.g. Ingrian Finn, Kurd, Romany), but who is not or has not necessarily been a citizen of his or her country of residence.

Naturalisation
fin Kansalaistaminen
swe Naturalisering

Issuing Finnish nationality on application.

Non-refoulement
fin Palauttamis-/palautuskielto
sv Non-refoulement-principen / Återsändningsförbud

Non-refoulement is a principle stating that nobody can be returned to an area where he or she has reason to fear persecution, death penalty or torture or fall victim to inhumane treatment or treatment violating human dignity.

Passport
fin Passi
swe Pass

A travel document issued by a domestic authority, which a foreigner must possess when entering and residing in Finland (e.g. citizens of the Nordic countries form an exception).

Prohibiting entry to Finland, entry prohibition, prohibition of entry
fin Maahantulokielto
swe Inreseförbud

When an alien is refused entry to or deported from the country, he or she may be prohibited entry to Finland. The prohibition may be valid for a fixed term or until further notice, and it applies either to the entire Schengen area or only to Finland.

Quota refugee
fin Kiintiöpakolainen
swe Kvotflykting

A person whom the UNHCR has granted refugee status and who has been granted an entry permit
within the budgeted limit of the refugee quota.

Refugee
fin Pakolainen
swe Flykting

An alien, who has well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality,
membership of a social group or political opinion. Refugee status is granted to a person who is granted asylum by a state or who is declared to be a refugee by UNHCR.

Refusal of entry
fin Käännyttäminen
swe Avvisning

Procedure for removing a person from the country. When an alien has not been granted a residence permit and a decision is made to remove the person from the country, he or she will be refused entry (see also deportation).

Registered partnership
fin Rekisteröity parisuhde
swe Registrerat partnerskap

A registered partnership means the opportunity of a couple of the same sex to register their relationship and thus give it legal status. A partnership can be registered by two people of the same sex if both are 18 years of age or more and if neither is already married or in a registered partnership.  

Residence permit
fin Oleskelulupa
swe Uppehållstillstånd

A permit to repeatedly enter and reside in a country, granted to an alien for reasons other than travel or equivalent short-term stay (see visa).

Residence permit for an employed person fin Työntekijän oleskelulupa swe Uppehållstillstånd för arbetstagare

Residence permit for a self-employed person fin Elinkeinonharjoittajan oleskelulupa swe Uppehållstillstånd för näringsidkare

Residence permit for studies fin Opiskelijan oleskelulupa swe Uppehållstillstånd för studier

Residence permit on the basis of family ties fin Oleskelulupa perhesiteen perusteella swe Uppehållstillstånd på grund av familjeband

Permanent residence permit fin Pysyvä oleskelulupa swe Permanent uppehållstillstånd A permanent residence permit is granted to a person who has resided in Finland without interruption for four years on the basis of a continuous residence permit. The reason for the residence, or other specific reasons, may give rise to exceptions. The permit is granted as valid until further notice and does not have to be renewed. A permanent residence permit bears the letter P.

Fixed-term residence permit fin Määräaikainen oleskelulupa swe Tidsbegränsat uppehållstillstånd A fixed-term residence permit can be granted either for continuous or temporary residence:

Continuous residence permit fin Jatkuva oleskelulupa swe Kontinuerligt uppehållstillstånd The permit is granted to a foreigner who has arrived in Finland with the intention of permanent immigration. The permit must be renewed when the validity period expires. A Continuous residence permit bears the letter A.

Temporary residence permit fin Tilapäinen oleskelulupa swe Tillfälligt uppehållstillstånd The permit is granted to a foreigner who does not intend to stay in Finland permanently. The permit must be renewed when the validity period expires. A temporary residence permit bears the letter B.

Returnee
fin Paluumuuttaja
swe Återflyttare

A Finn in exile who returns to Finland. In Finland, the term is applied to former and current Finnish citizens, as well as to persons returning from the former Soviet Union area, such as the Ingrian Finns, who are of Finnish origin. The latter are Finnish by nationality, but they are not Finnish citizens.

Sponsor
fin Perheenkokoaja
swe Anknytningsperson

A person residing in Finland, either a Finnish citizen or a citizen of another country, on the basis of whose residence a family member is applying for a residence permit on the grounds of family ties.

Subsidiary protection
fin Toissijainen suojelu
swe Alternativt skydd

Reason for granting a residence permit. 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).

Sur place situation
fin Sur place -tilanne
swe Sur place -situation

A situation where the need for international protection arises after the person has left his/her country of origin, for example if the circumstances in an asylum seeker’s country of origin have changed so that it is impossible for him/her to return. An asylum seeker may also need protection because of action he/she has taken abroad after leaving his/her country of origin.

Tracing
fin Jäljittäminen
svwe Spårning

Tracing means that the location of the parents of an unaccompanied minor asylum seeker, or some other person responsible for his or her guardianship, be traced if possible.

Travel document for refugee
fin Pakolaisen matkustusasiakirja
swe Resedokument för flykting

A travel document issued to a refugee.

UNHCR

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Urgent cases
fin Hätätapaukset
swe Nödfall

Persons defined by the UNHCR as refugees and whom the organisation presents for urgent resettlement.

Visa
fin Viisumi
swe Visum

An entry permit granted to a foreigner for travel purposes or a comparable short-term stay. There are different types of visa: transit visas, single-entry visas, airport transit visas and multiple-entry visas.