Finland stiffens, shortens residence permit for refugees

Finland will tighten and shorten the residence permit period for refugees from the beginning of next year.

The government on Thursday submitted the amendments to the Aliens Act for approval and the President is scheduled to approve it on Friday, said the Ministry of the Interior.

The amendments will enter into force on January 2, 2025.

Finland's asylum policy has been tightened in accordance with the programme of the four-party alliance government led by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP).

As per the new law, a refugee will be granted a residence permit for three years instead of the current four years.

The length of an extended permit will also be shortened from the current four years to three years.

The first residence permit based on subsidiary protection will be issued for one year instead of the current four years.

An extended permit based on subsidiary protection, in turn, will be issued for two years instead of the current four years.

Meanwhile, the Finnish Immigration Service ( Migri) will assess the need to extend the duration of international protection more frequently than before.

The new law also introduced provisions for refusing or ending international protection status.

In future, persons who are considered to be a danger to society because they have committed a particularly serious offence will not be granted refugee status, in other words asylum, or their status will be ended.

Both refugee status and subsidiary protection status will be ended if a person, after being granted such status, commits or is suspected of having committed a crime against peace, war crime or crime against humanity, or an act contrary to the purposes and principles of the UN.

Subsidiary protection status will be refused or ended when there is reason to assume that a person is a danger to society.

Subsidiary protection status will also be ended if a person commits an aggravated offence after receiving the status.

Refugee status and subsidiary protection status will be refused or ended when there is a reason to assume that the alien is a danger to Finland's national security.

Under the Aliens Act, aliens may be granted international protection in Finland if they fulfil the conditions for refugee status or subsidiary protection. The purpose of the amendments that are to be approved now is to withdraw international protection more effectively from persons who no longer need it or are deemed not to be entitled to it because of their own actions.

Earlier, in September, 2024, the four-party alliance government took an initiative to reduce the integration spending for the persons granted international protection and their family members.

On June 16, leaders of the parties announced the programme, which included tougher immigration, residence and citizenship laws.

On August 25, 2023 several hundreds of people went on demonstrations in Helsinki in protest at the move of the four-party alliance right wing government of tightening the immigration policy.

Separate demonstrations were also held in Helsinki on June 27, 2023 and June 18, 2023 protesting against the immigration policy taken by the government.

Earlier on June 16, 2023, leaders of the four parties announced the programme, which included tougher immigration, residence and citizenship laws.