Refugee centres closure moves taken hasty: SPR official

The Head of Finnish Red Cross (SPR) operations in western Finland Pekka Annala on Friday said that the government moves to close down asylum seeker reception centres were taken too quickly, reported National Broadcaster Yle.

The SPR local executive manager also viewed that the recent news about the migrant situation suggests there is good reason to think about increasing capacity at the reception centres, said the Yle report.

"The situation is highly fluid. I’m already thinking about setting up a new unit," Annala told Yle.

Interior Minister Paula Risikko on Thursday said that Finland might consider accepting asylum seekers from Italy, which has been overwhelmed by more than 85,000 new arrivals since the beginning of the year.

Last year the Interior Ministry announced that it would begin shuttering asylum seeker reception centres as the asylum applications will be settled down immediately.

The ministry said that there will be no necessity for refugee centres as the successful applicants will move to the housing in municipalities while the rejected will be deported gradually.

Till the end of 2015 the SPR operated more than 100 reception centres but today it provides asylum seeker accommodation at around 30 facilities, the report added.