Busy times at the Finnish Immigration Service: Limited media service

One of our most important values as a public authority is to treat all members of the media equally in our media service. However, we are currently receiving more phone calls and e-mails than we can answer, despite the fact that we have added our external communication resources. In order to provide as many journalists as possible with answers to their questions, we cannot give answers very quickly, especially to long lists of questions.

Most journalists understand our situation, and that our resources are limited, and we want to thank them for that. Unfortunately, we cannot help everybody as quickly and as extensively as they wish.

Press and Communications Services will answer most queries

Many of our experts are currently occupied with their regular work and can give very few interviews. For the time being, the Press and Communications Services will take the main responsibility for giving comments. We will forward your questions to an expert, when necessary.

Interview requests to the Press and Communications Services

If you would like to get an interview from the Finnish Immigration Service, please contact our Press and Communications Services by e-mail (viestinta@migri.fi) or by telephone (number for the media: 0295 433 037).

We answer the phone on weekdays mainly during office hours. If you need to contact us in the evening or at the weekend when our service is more limited, please contact us by e-mail and we will get back to you, if possible.

Limited information concerning municipalities – follow us on Twitter

Many journalists contact us to ask whether a reception centre is to be opened in a certain municipality. We have received hundreds of offers of facilities located all over the country, and it takes time to go through them and to establish who will run them.

The best way to stay posted on reception centres and emergency accommodation units that are planned to be opened is to follow us on Twitter: @Maahanmuuttovir. We tweet about new units as soon as any plans are confirmed.

Check the web before calling us

Searching the web is often the quickest way to get an answer to your question instead of contacting a public official. The following sources provide up-to-date information about asylum and reception issues:

• Our account on Twitter @Maahanmuuttovir:
  • Latest statistics on the number of asylum seekers each morning.
  • Weekly statistics on the number of asylum seekers.
  • Latest information about new reception centres.
• Basic information about seeking asylum and about reception activities:
  • http://www.migri.fi/asylum_in_finland/applying_for_asylum
  • http://www.migri.fi/asylum_in_finland/reception_activities
• Answers to frequently asked questions about asylum seekers on the website of the Ministry of the Interior: http://www.intermin.fi/fi/maahanmuutto/turvapaikanhakijat/ukk (in Finnish and Swedish)