Finland to accept 750 quota refugees in 2019

The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed the decision of the ministerial working group on migration concerning the allocation of the refugee quota of 750 people for 2019, said a government press release.

Finland is committed to receive Syrian refugees from Turkey and Congolese refugees from Zambia in the 2019 quota.

As a result of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Syria, there are over 3.6 million Syrian refugees in Turkey who have been forced to leave their homes.

Over 800,000 Congolese refugees have fled to African countries because of long-standing violence. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that there will be 76,000 Congolese refugees in Zambia at the end of 2018 which is 38,000 more than a year ago. Most of these refugees are women and children.

Finland will also receive particularly vulnerable refugees who the UNHCR has evacuated from Libya to Niger through the Emergency Transit Mechanism.

As in previous years, Finland also prepares for resettlement of 100 emergency and urgent cases. Emergency and urgent cases mean people who are in need of urgent resettlement because they need protection or they have serious medical needs, for example. These people are resettled without any limitations on nationality or region.

Under the refugee quota, Finland admits persons who have been recognised as refugees by the UNHCR and who have been submitted for resettlement by the UNHCR. The Finnish authorities select the quota refugees to be admitted to Finland on the basis of a submission by the UNHCR.

The resettlement of quota refugees is the most effective way of helping refugees in severe distress, since their need for protection is assessed before they arrive in Finland. Finland has resettled quota refugees since the 1970s. A lot of work has been done to successfully integrate new arrivals in Finnish society.

Along with the European Commission, Finland has also encouraged other EU member states to get involved in resettlement of refugees.

The European Commission allocates funds from the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) to support resettlement. The member states participating in the resettlement programme receive financial assistance from the fund based on the number of the resettled persons.

The member states receive a lump sum of EUR 6,000 or 10,000 for every person resettled depending on the country of origin or the urgency of resettlement. In Finland, this money is used for supporting integration of refugees and their placement in municipalities, and for improving the processes of authorities involved in resettlement.

Finland will receive a lump sum of EUR 10,000 for every refugee resettled under the refugee quota for 2019.