5 refugee reception centres to be closed by end of June

Five refugee reception centres with the accommodation capacity of 630 beds will stop operation by the end of June.

Four centres will be closed down following termination of contracts while the fixed-term contract of the Kaarlenkatu Unit of the Helsinki Reception Centre will expire, said a press release issued by Finnish Immigration Services(Migri).

The Immigration Service has already informed those in charge of the reception centres about the terminations.

The accommodation capacity will be reduced by 630 beds by the end of June 2019. Those in charge of the reception centres will carry out employee cooperation negotiations with the staff at the centres. The reason for these adjustments is the estimated reduced need for accommodation in the beginning of the year.

Maintaining unnecessary accommodation capacity is expensive, which is why the goal of the agency is to keep the number of beds as close to the real demand as possible at all times.

The goal of the Finnish Immigration Service is to maintain a 90 per cent occupancy rate at its reception centres.

At present, there are approximately 7,800 beds at the reception centres. The reception centres for adults and families will be closed down due to termination of contract are Helsinki/Metsäläntie, the Helsinki and Uusimaa district of the Finnish Red Cross, 100 beds, by April 30, Kankaanpää, Medivida Oy, 90 beds, by June 30, Kokemäki, Pihlajalinna Terveys Oy, 90 beds, by March 31 and Raseborg, Medivida Oy, 150 beds, by March 31.

The Helsinki/Kaarlenkatu Unit, City of Helsinki, 200 beds, will be closed by March 31 due to expiry of fixed-term contract, the press release added.