Finland stiffens, shortens residence permit for refugees

Finland has tightened and shortened the residence permit period for refugees effecting from Thursday, said Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) in a press release.

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).

Following the change moving forward, asylum and the extended permit issued on the basis of refugee status will be granted for three years instead of the previous four years.

Now subsidiary protection will be issued for one year and the extended permit on the basis of secondary protection will be issued for two years instead of the previous four years.

The transition to temporary protection means that the Finnish Immigration Service will assess the need for continued international protection more frequently than before.

The aim is to grant international protection only for the time the customer needs it.

"The need for continued protection is influenced by factors such as the safety situation in the customer’s home country and the customer’s possible travel there. The duration of international protection permits will be reduced to the minimum permitted by EU law. The aim of the changes is to remove the protection status more effectively from persons who no longer need it. Crimes committed in Finland will also have a greater impact than before on the granting and ending of international protection," said Tommi Vallin, Process Owner for Extended and Permanent Residence Permits for International Protection of Migri.

The legislative amendment also adds new grounds for refusal to grant international protection and for ending protection.

Moving forward, asylum will not be granted or will be ended if the person is considered to be a danger to society because they have been convicted of a particularly aggravated crime. Subsidiary protection status is not granted or is ended when there is reason to assume that the person is a threat to society or national security, or when the person commits a serious crime after receiving the status, for example.

"Protective status may be ended on the basis of criminal activity if the person has committed an offence after the Act entered into force on 2 January 2025. There is no similar restriction in the case of termination based on national security," said Mikko Keski-Nirva, Process Owner for Ending and Cancellation of Protection Status of Migri.

If a person who has lost their protection status cannot be removed from the country due to non-refoulement, they will be granted a temporary residence permit for one year at a time.

Earlier in November 22, 2024 the President approved the amendments to the Aliens Act.

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.