11,762 Ukrainians seek asylum in Finland this year

A total of 11,762 Ukrainians applied for temporary protection in Finland this year, said the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) on Tuesday.

The number of Ukrainian asylum seekers is 37 percent lower than in previous years.

Applications have been submitted regularly during the whole year with the exception of early summer, when the number of applications peaked due to Ukrainians coming to Finland for seasonal work with permits issued on the basis of temporary protection.

“Almost all decisions on temporary protection are positive. The total number of positive decisions this year is 11,379. We have also made some negative decisions and issued expiry decisions on a small number of applications,” said Minna Serradj, Process Owner responsible for temporary protection of Migri.

Some Ukrainians have applied for other residence permits such as the permit for an employed person, which is intended for a longer stay than permits issued on the basis of temporary protection.

“Approximately 30 Ukrainians have applied for asylum only, even though they could apply for temporary protection that is intended for them. Therefore, they may receive a negative decision on their applications. We have advised these clients to apply for temporary protection, which can be granted to them, before we issue negative decisions on their asylum applications,” said Roosa Simola, Process Owner responsible for asylum examination of Migri.

After receiving a negative decision, the applicant may be removed from the country. It is possible to issue a negative decision followed by a consequent decision on removal from the country if a person applying for temporary protection or asylum does not meet the requirements for applying or has committed crimes, for example.

“We were previously unable to make decisions on removal from the country. We have only made one such decision for a Ukrainian applying for temporary protection. Issuing such decisions is now possible, as we have access to more detailed country information concerning Ukraine and its security situation. Given that Ukraine is a country at war, decisions on removal from the country are not issued lightly. The principle of non-refoulement is always taken into account in these cases,” said Tirsa Forssell, Director of Control and Monitoring Department of Migri.

Meanwhile, reception centres provide accommodation and reception services to Ukrainians until they move to a municipality.

“We help our clients with moving to a municipality. Clients who receive temporary protection can apply for a municipality of residence and move to a municipality after residing in Finland for one year. As residents of a municipality, they can choose freely where to live and, for example, receive integration and employment services provided by their municipality,” said Elina Nurmi, Director of Reception Services Department of Migri.

There are about 9,400 Ukrainians living in reception centres who are eligible for a municipality of residence but who have not applied for it yet. There are also clients who are about to move to a municipality soon.

According to the Finnish Immigration Service’s forecast updated in September, the number of applicants seeking temporary protection in Finland will be 10,000–12,000 in 2024 and 8,000–12,000 in 2025.