At the beginning of 2015, a total of 975 asylum seekers have arrived in Finland (30.3.2015). The amount is approximately 36% higher than during the same period last year. The number of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers has also increased. The occupancy rate at the transit centres in Helsinki, Joutseno, Oulu and Turku and at the group homes intended for unaccompanied minors has been high throughout the beginning of the year.
“More accommodation places have been added in the reception centres maintained by the Finnish Red Cross in Turku, Rovaniemi, Lammi and Mänttä-Vilppula as well as in the group homes in Oulu, Kotka, Oravainen, Turku and Espoo,” says Visa Knape, Senior Adviser at the Reception Unit. “The accommodation capacity has been increased so far by 130 places at the reception centres and by 37 places at the units intended for minors.”
Assignments given by the Finnish Immigration Service 1.1.–31.3.2015
- Turku Reception Centre, 30 additional places from 12 January
- Rovaniemi Reception Centre, 50 additional places from 1 February
- Mänttä-Vilppula Reception Centre, 25 additional places by 28 February
- Lammi Reception Centre, 25 additional places by 28 February
- Espoo Group Home, 7 additional places from 1 March
- Kotka Group Home, 4 additional places from 1 April 2015
- Oravainen Group Home, 4 additional places from 1 March 2015, 3 additional places from 23 March 2015 and 6 additional places from 1 May 2015, 13 places in all
- Group Home in Pansio, Turku, 7 additional places from 1 May 2015
- Supported Housing Unit at Oulu Reception Centre, 6 additional places from 13 April 2015
“We follow the situation closely,” Knape says. “There have been preliminary discussions with other reception centres about additional places, in case the number of asylum seekers continues to rise and the reception capacity needs to be adjusted accordingly,” Knape says.
Further information for the media
Senior Adviser Visa Knape, tel. 0295 430 431, e-mail: forename.surname@migri.fi
