Govt moves to tighten law on deportation, detention, entry ban

The government has taken an initiative to tighten the migration law with the view to ensure efficient removal of individuals who are staying in the country illegally, possibility of withdrawing a residence permit from an alien staying outside Finland and imposing an entry ban for security reasons.

The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments on a draft act and the deadline for submitting comments is June 28, said the ministry in a press release on Friday.

The proposed amendments are based on the programme to tighten asylum policy of the Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) led right-wing four-party alliance government.

According to the proposal, the maximum duration of detention would be extended from 12 months to 18 months in situations related to removal from the country. The act would provide for the possibility of extending the duration of detention from six months to 12 months, if the person was considered a danger to public order and security or to national security.

The Government also proposes that the possibility of detaining a person to protect public order be added to the act. The concept of ‘risk of absconding’ in the act would be specified.

The act would provide for a more effective imposition of entry bans in cases where no time limit has been set for voluntary return or the person has not left the country voluntarily within the fixed time limit.

The act would provide for the possibility of imposing a fixed-term entry ban on a third-country national for a maximum of 15 years. This would be consistent with the entry bans imposed on EU citizens. The current act allows an entry ban to be imposed on third-country nationals for a fixed term of no more than five years or until further notice.

The government proposed that a residence permit could be withdrawn from an alien staying outside Finland and an entry ban be imposed due to the person being a danger to public order and security or to national security without hearing the person in Finland.

The goal is for the proposed act to enter into force as soon as possible.