Focus shift from operational efficiency to stabilisation
Finnish Immigration Service Annual Report 2004
In 2004, the Finnish Immigration Service focused heavily on development and efficiency improvement. To reach the goals, several projects with future implications were launched in the Directorate. Stabilisation was chosen as a theme for 2005.
In February, the Ministry of the Interior initiated a project aimed at improving the operational efficiency of the Finnish Immigration Service. The project conformed to the performance plan. The goals were to improve the service capacity, to shorten the time used for processing asylum applications and citizenship applications, to start the regionalisation project and to utilize the regional units effectively in decision-making.
“The efficiency improvement and the changes aim at improving the service capacity and increasing transparency, says Jorma Vuorio, Director-General.
Regional units will improve overall performance
The decision to regionalise the Directorate’s operations was made at the end of March. The Finnish Immigration Service itself remained located in Helsinki, but part of its functions were transferred to new offices opened in Kuhmo and Lappeenranta. Preparations were also started to open a new office at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport.
“The functions in the Regional Division started well. There is a strong spirit in the regional offices and the personnel aim at good results. We have received good feedback. In 2005, the aim is to stabilise the functions in the offices, says Esko Repo, Regional Division Director.
Record number of asylum seekers
The Refugee and Asylum Division faced big challenges in 2004. The goal was to make a decision for each pending asylum application that had been filed by the end of 2003 before the new Aliens Act took effect.
In 2004, a total of 3,861 asylum seekers arrived in Finland and a total of 4,758 decisions were made. The number of applicants rose by 20 per cent compared with 2003. “ Both Finnish records”, says Jorma Peitsalo, Director. “Nearly 60 per cent of the applicants were so-called Dublin cases i.e. the applicants had already filed an application in another EU-country. The percentage is the highest in Europe”.
The new Aliens Act which took effect at the beginning of May lead to changes in the practical functions. The new Act required extensive training and learning of new working methods.
Electronic processing
In March, preparations were started to process the asylum applications electronically. “The aim is that all important processes in the Directorate of Immigration shall be electronic before 2007. This will both improve the efficiency of the processing time and shorten it, improve the ability to control the process and save expenses, says Kaarina Koskinen, Director.
The economic situation of the Finnish Immigration Service developed favourably. The overall productivity grew and the performance goals were achieved.
Annual report 2004 (in Finnish, English summary)
4.5.2005
