Due to the increased number of asylum seekers, the reception centres in Helsinki are all full. The Finnish Immigration Service has agreed with Kirkkonummen Aktiivikeskus Kiinteistö Oy on the establishment of a temporary reception centre to ease the situation with the reception centres in Helsinki.
The reception centre will be established in Kirkkonummi and it can accommodate 250 people at most. The agreement is valid for a fixed term of three months.
The majority of all asylum seekers submit their asylum applications in the Helsinki metropolitan area. For that reason, the reception centres in Helsinki have filled up quickly. In the early stage of the asylum procedure, asylum seekers are most preferably accommodated in the municipality where they seek asylum or in its vicinity in order to reduce costs. Once the police and the Finnish Immigration Service have interviewed the asylum seeker, he or she can be transferred to another municipality.
New centres will be opened also in other parts of the country
The Finnish Immigration Service has also agreed on the establishment of new reception centres maintained by the Finnish Red Cross in Harjavalta as well as in Tornio in connection with the Rovaniemi Reception Centre.
The Finnish Immigration Service closely follows any changes in the number of asylum seekers, both in Finland and in the other Nordic countries. The number of asylum seekers has increased generally in Europe.
Further information for the media
Director of Reception Unit Jorma Kuuluvainen
tel. 0295 430 431, e-mail: forename.surname@migri.fi
