At the beginning of November the Finnish Immigration Service will introduce new service numbers dedicated to specific issues. The customer calling hours will remain the same – Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10 and 11 a.m. – but customers will now be able to select the number on the basis of the subject of their call. The calls will be answered by experts at the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality units.
The Finnish Immigration Service will also continue to offer customer service by telephone on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the general customer service number +358 71 873 3400.
Aim at alleviating call congestion
The service number reform is motivated by the desire of the Finnish Immigration Service to improve its customer service and to address the constant increase in the number of incoming calls. For example, in September 2009 the switchboard of the Finnish Immigration Service received nearly 15,000 calls, while last year the average number of calls per month was less than 10,000.
The reform aims at alleviating the call load at the switchboard of the Service Centre of the Internal Affairs Administration, which also operates the switchboard of several other authorities. The number of calls made to the Finnish Immigration Service during the one-hour service period is on average 450–500, which has often congested the lines of other authorities as well. Distribution of incoming calls between dedicated service numbers will enable distribution of the call load over several lines. Customers will also be able directly to contact an official familiar with the subject matter.
Owing to technical reasons, there will regrettably be no opportunity to queue for the service numbers.
Eleven new numbers
A total of eleven new service numbers will be introduced: four dealing with residence permits, three with citizenship, and four with asylum and refugees. A detailed list of the numbers can be found in the attached document.
The first time the new service numbers will be used will be during the call hour on Tuesday, 3 November.
Further information for the media: Customer Service Director Hanna Koskinen, tel. +358 71 873 0431
23.10.2009
