Proposal to extend validity of deportation law goes to Parliament

The government on Thursday submitted a proposal to the parliament to extend the validity of the 'Border Security Act' or the so-called controversial deportation law until December 31, 2026 to combat instrumentalised migration, said the Ministry of the Interior in a press release.

The purpose of the act is to prevent efforts to put pressure on Finland through the instrumentalisation of migrants.

“The threat of instrumentalised migration at Finland’s eastern border remains high and difficult to predict. The situation at the border is tense but stable. However, we must prepare for the possibility that the situation may change rapidly and seriously,” said Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

“By extending the validity of the Border Security Act, we will ensure that border authorities have sufficient powers to act preventively and effectively in the most serious incidents of instrumentalised migration," she said.

So far, the Border Security Act has not been applied. The application of the act would require a separate decision, and it would be the last resort to control the situation.

Finland’s eastern border is the longest external border that both the EU and NATO have with Russia.

The Government does not propose to change the content of the act. The proposed act should enter into force by 21 July 2025 at the latest.

The Border Security Act entered into force on 22 July 2024 and will remain in force for one year.

It lays down the conditions under which Finland can decide to restrict the reception of applications for international protection in a limited area on Finland’s national border and in its immediate vicinity.

The purpose of the act is to prevent foreign states from exerting influence on Finland through the instrumentalisation of migrants.

Earlier on July 16, 2024 the President approved the law, which was passed by the parliament on July 12, 2024.

The government on May 21, 2024 submitted a proposal to Parliament for an act on temporary measures to combat instrumentalised migration.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on May 22, 2024 criticized the government´s move to enact a new law on deportation.