Correction: We will not issue a residence permit to all asylum-seeking families or pregnant asylum seekers who have been granted international protection in Greece
In a customer bulletin published 2 August 2023, we stated that, as a rule, we will issue a residence permit on humanitarian grounds to all asylum seekers who have been granted international protection in Greece if the persons concerned are a family with underage children or are pregnant. These guidelines affected a few dozen asylum seekers in Finland.
Unfortunately, the guideline statement that we were using as a basis for our customer bulletin was incorrectly formulated. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. To clarify, the Finnish Immigration Service will not automatically issue a residence permit to all asylum-seeking families or pregnant asylum seekers who have been granted international protection in Greece.
Our decisions are always issued on the basis of individual consideration
When a family or a pregnant asylum seeker who has been granted international protection in Greece applies for asylum in Finland, we will consider all cases individually, as we have done before.
If we come to the conclusion that the above-mentioned applicant groups contain persons whose individual circumstances are such that it would be manifestly unreasonable for them to return to Greece, we will grant such applicants a residence permit on a discretionary basis on humanitarian grounds (in accordance with section 52 of the Aliens Act). The permit will be issued for one year at a time.
If you are part of the applicant group mentioned in this customer bulletin, your application will be processed as follows:
You do not need to take any action. Wait for the authorities to process your application.
- If a decision has not yet been made on your asylum application:
- Wait for the decision. We will make a decision on your application as soon as possible.
- If you are still waiting for your asylum interview, the decision will be made immediately after the interview.
- If you have appealed against a decision and the matter is to be decided by an appellate court (an administrative court or the Supreme Administrative Court):
- Wait for the decision of the appellate court. Matters that are returned to the Finnish Immigration Service by the appellate courts will be decided quickly.
Information about guidelines
Guidelines are directing the application of law and the decision-making at the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service reviews and updates its guidelines regularly.
As far as the Finnish Immigration Service is aware, the Supreme Administrative Court in Finland will be issuing decisions with relevance to this matter. Those decisions will be guiding the application of the relevant legislation. At the moment, however, it is not certain when these decisions will be issued.
For reference:
Customer bulletin published 2 August 2023: Are you in Finland and have you been granted international protection in Greece?If you are pregnant or have underage children with you, there have been changes to the processing of your asylum application
