Job-based residence-permit applications grow, asylum applications slide

The number of residence-permit applications increased significantly in 2019, says a press release issued by the Finnish Immigration Services (Migri)

A total of 12,687 residence permit applications were submitted on the basis of work last year, rising from 10,805 in 2018.

Almost half of the applications concerned an employee’s residence permit, which includes consideration related to availability by the TE office before Finnish Immigration Service’s decision (2019: 6,270, 2018: 5,791).

The number of applications also increased in almost all other work-related permit types, such as permits for special experts (2019: 1,791, 2018: 1,536).

The growth can also be accounted to the new permit types for seasonal work introduced in 2018. A total of 2,051 residence-permit applications were submitted for seasonal work (2018: 1,055). In addition to residence permits, 9,940 seasonal work certificates intended for seasonal work lasting less than three months were granted (2018: 6,839).

All in all, the number of residence-permit applications increased by 4,936 from 2018. A total of 71,317 persons applied for residence permit (2018: 66,381). In addition to work, a residence permit can be applied for on the basis of family ties or study, for example.

A total of 4,550 asylum applications were submitted last year, of which 2,467 were submitted by new asylum-seekers.

Changes have also taken place in the asylum-seekers’ countries of origin. Most of the new asylum-seekers last year arrived from Turkey and Russia.

“Most of the Turkish applicants referred to the real or assumed membership in the Gülen Movement and the resulting threat imposed on them. A large number of Jehovah’s Witnesses have arrived from Russia in the last few years, but there were many kinds of application criteria last year,’ said Antti Lehtinen, the director of the Asylum Unit.

Of the asylum-applications submitted last year, 2,083 were re-applications. A re-application is an asylum-application submitted by an asylum-seeker after having received a legal decision for at least one of their asylum applications.

“Iraqis still show as the largest application group in statistics, though the number of new asylum-seekers from Iraq is now relatively small,” said Lehtinen.

A total of 1,839 deportation decisions based on illegal residence were made last year, compared to 997 in the previous year.

Most of the deportation decisions based on illegal residence concerned Uzbek citizens (2019: 331; 2018: 10).

A total of 124 deportation-decisions were based on crime (2018: 95), the press release said.