Three units to be closed, preparations for three units suspended

Security of reception centres assessed:

The Finnish Immigration Service will close down reception units in Parikkala, Vantaa and Merikarvia in December and January.

• The reception centre in Parikkala will be closed down on Wednesday 9 December. Asylum seekers accommodated in this unit will be relocated to the reception centre in Savonlinna.
• The reception centre on Ilmailutie in Vantaa will be closed down by the end of December. Asylum seekers will be transferred to other units in Vantaa.
• The reception centre in Merikarvia will be closed down by the end of January. Asylum seekers accommodated in this unit will be relocated to a reception centre to be opened in Rauma.

In addition, preparations covering reception centres in Kittilä, Pello and Ylitornio are suspended.

The Finnish Immigration Service and the National Police Board decided to close down these units on the basis of a joint assessment they had performed.

The location of the units in question was a concern when the units were set up, but due to the sudden and dramatic increase in the number of asylum seekers they had to be opened as new accommodation was required for up to 500 people per day.

New centres for asylum seekers who are returned and who return voluntarily to be set up in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area

There are plans to establish two reception centres in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for those who return to their home country.

A so-called return centre will be set up for those who have received a decision on removal from the country. The operating concept of this unit is somewhat different to that applied in other reception centres. The return centre will be established in connection with an existing unit by the end of January.

A transit department will be set up in conjunction with an existing unit for those who return voluntarily on their own initiative. Immediate action will be taken to organise these operations.

Units listed on a location basis, extensive closures not an option

The police have provided the Finnish Immigration Service with a list of approximately 30 units which the police feel should be shut down or where steps should be taken to improve security. The listing is based on the location of units rather than high incidence rates.

The National Police Board stresses that on the whole it is crucial to modify the customer profile in the reception centres and take other necessary steps to improve the security situation within them. The distance to the nearest police service point is not in itself a sufficient argument for closing down a unit.

Extensive reception centre closures are not a viable option at the moment. One hundred asylum seekers on average are arriving in Finland every day. Even though the number has fallen since the early autumn, the accommodation units are still almost full.

Possible closures must be weighed against security issues as well as operational and economic facts: existing agreements cannot be suddenly terminated without imperative reasons.

Investing in security

New reception units are being planned based on close cooperation between the Finnish Immigration Service and the police. Together with the local police, the Finnish Immigration Service or the entities running the units prepare an overall assessment of the safety of the reception units currently in operation.

The Finnish Immigration Service has already taken measures to improve security in the reception units and their vicinity. These include more security guards, better lighting and technical surveillance, and educational material for the asylum seekers on Finnish customs, equality, laws and freedom of religion.

In addition, police officers visit the units to inform asylum seekers of what kinds of behaviour are considered acceptable and unacceptable in Finland. The police also provide security training to reception centre personnel, and attend events organised for residents by municipalities and reception centres.

Further information for the media

Finnish Immigration Service: Pekka Nuutinen, Director of Development, Reception Unit
Tel. 0295 430 431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi

National Police Board: Mia Poutanen, Superintendent
Tel. 295 481 760, firstname.lastname@poliisi.fi

Press release issued by the Finnish Immigration Service and the National Police Board