Finnish embassy to Turkey reportedly issues false visas

Number of false Schengen visas were issued reportedly by the officials of Finnish embassy in Ankara.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Finnish Border Guard are investigating into the matter, said an official press release.

The law enforcing agencies suspect connection of three employees of the Embassy in issuing the illegal visas to create way for hundreds illegal entries into the country, reported National broadcaster Yle.

The criminal investigation authorities and the Foreign Ministry have been following activities in the Embassy for a few months already. A person has been remanded for trial, said the press release issued by the ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Visa officials are recruited by the embassy and recruits undergo a security clearance in Finland. A training course is provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry grants visa officials the rights involved in the issuance of visas. Processing visa applications is a system that is based on liability for acts in office.

In the case under investigation, it is suspected that the system has been misused. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs monitors issuance of visas and irregularities in the Embassy in Ankara have been detected. The Foreign Ministry refrained from any internal measures in order to ensure that the criminal investigation be not compromised. The suspected visa officials are no longer employed by the Embassy.

In 2017, Finland's Embassy in Ankara received 4,212 visa applications, of which 11.2 per cent were rejected. In 2018, of the 4,014 applications submitted, 23.1 per cent were rejected, the press release added.