Fact-finding mission´s info helps asylum decision

Two researchers from the Finnish Immigration Service visited Baghdad, Iraq, on a fact-finding mission in late October and early November.

The purpose of the visit was to create a contact network with international and national actors such as aid organisations, officials, researchers and local non-governmental organisations, said a press release.

In the future, information on the security situation in Iraq and Baghdad can be obtained from this contact network, in support of asylum decisions.

During the mission, information was also gathered on general conditions in the country and the situations of various population groups.

The Immigration Service's last fact-finding mission was made in 2011, when researchers visited Iraqi Kurdistan. This year’s mission was the first visit to Baghdad.

During the fact-finding missions, the aim was also to examine, as widely as possible, the current situation in Iraq and Baghdad. Information was gathered by interviewing various experts, such as local officials, representatives of international organisations, embassy staff and experts from non-governmental organisations active in Iraq.

Next year, researchers from the Country Information Service will go on fact-finding missions to Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria.

The Finnish Immigration Service aims to make fact-finding missions routine, so that its experts can visit the countries more often.