What does a reception centre contribute to the local area?

A great deal of concern and rumours are being aired in online discussions on how reception centres change the lives of locals. Because this is largely due to lack of information, we have created a FAQ page on the issue. The Finnish Red Cross, which runs many reception centres, has created on its own webpage corresponding info based on its own perspective.

Who lives in reception centres?

Foreign nationals who have come to Finland and applied for asylum from the police or the border control authorities.

Based on international human rights conventions, people can apply for asylum if they reside outside their home country or country of permanent residence owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of

• ethnic origin
• religion
• nationality
• membership in a particular social group or
• political opinion.

Reception services are arranged for the duration of the asylum application process. Whereas the application processing time at the beginning of the year was six months on average, it may now lengthen due to the rise in the number of applicants. Applicants live only temporarily in reception centres – if the application is granted, i.e. permission is granted to stay in Finland, the applicant will move out, often to a municipality offering municipal places.

On what basis does the Finnish Immigration Service seek locations for reception centres? What kinds of premises does this involve?

The premises have to be large enough and suitable as accommodation. Account is also taken of the condition of the premises: is there a need for renovation or can they be used quickly, and are fire safety issues in good order.

In addition, smaller premises can be used as group or family group homes for unaccompanied minors. These are similar in size to the substitute care units used for child protection purposes.

However, the premises are not the only factor involved in planning where to locate reception centres. The availability of staff must also be ensured. Particularly now, when the need for reception centre locations is acute, the Finnish Immigration Service is mapping out the possibilities with local districts of the Finnish Red Cross, because they have long experience of reception centre operations. In many cases, an attempt is made to locate new reception centres close to old ones, so that more experienced staff can provide support at least during the establishment phase. However, single districts do not have infinite resources.

How does the process move forward when a new reception centre is being planned?

Premises are jointly mapped out and inspected by the Finnish Immigration Service and the Finnish Red Cross. The Finnish Immigration Service negotiates with the owner of the property. If the premises seem to have potential and staff can be arranged, the municipality is asked for its opinion. In principle, the municipality’s approval is not required for the establishment of a reception centre if the premises are rented from a company. In practice, however, the Finnish Immigration Service asks the municipality for its opinion and tries to reach a mutual understanding with it. The Finnish Immigration Service then proposes the establishment of the centre to the Ministry of the Interior, which makes the final decision.

On the other hand, the Finnish Immigration Service alone decides on emergency accommodation units that are established under the administration of existing reception centres. Unfortunately, in the case of emergency units, which are generally temporary, the Finnish Immigration Service has not always been able to await the official opinion of the municipality, but immediate action has had to be taken when the premises have been found. In such circumstances, the municipality has been informed when the decision on the establishment of the unit has been taken, at the latest.

Why, in general, does the Finnish Immigration Service only inform the public after a decision has been taken, or at a late stage in the negotiations?

We have not wanted to make public announcements about uncompleted negotiations before being able to properly inform municipal decision-makers of what is involved. We make contact with municipal decision-makers in the very early stages. The fact that negotiations are being held does not yet mean that a reception centre will be established. The Finnish Immigration Service will only make an official announcement when there is reasonable certainty that the centre will be established – we do not want to inspire idle speculation. We aim to agree on the communications schedule and content with the municipality, the Finnish Red Cross or the organisers of other activities, and with whoever is leasing the premises. Negotiations are not conducted in secret, as such.

How does a reception centre benefit the local area?

By creating jobs: in addition to their own staff, reception centres provide work for, for example, transportation, premises management and catering services. Empty premises are brought back into use. In many cases, a reception centre enlivens the local economy because many everyday purchases are made locally.

What kinds of costs can fall on the municipality due to a reception centre? Will a reception centre affect the safety of the municipality? Will it reduce property prices?

All reception centre costs are paid by the state. The municipality does not pay for anything. The municipality must arrange educational services for school-age children, but it is compensated for this.

There has been no reduction in public safety due to the establishment of reception centres in locations in which centres have long been operating. For example, in the Kallio area of Helsinki it was feared that the opening of a reception centre would lead to a reduction in safety and a fall in property prices. According to the police and a representative of a residential association, neither of these concerns has turned out to be justified.

What do you mean when you say that emergency accommodation units are temporary? How likely is it that they will become permanent?

Emergency accommodation units function under the administration of existing reception centres and are not independent centres in themselves. The Finnish Immigration Service has established such units for a duration of a few months because the rapidly increased number of asylum seekers has to be accommodated somewhere quickly. The permanent centres are absolutely full. The related rental agreements are temporary. If they need to be continued or made permanent, the issue will be brought back to the municipality for consideration. It is very difficult to say for sure how the situation will develop from here. If the Finnish Immigration Service is able to establish enough new permanent reception centres during the autumn, there will no longer be a need for emergency accommodation units. We will inform the public of this when we know more.

Note! The bulletin describes the situation in August 2015. The procedures for establishing reception centres have partially changed and the bulletin is no longer completely accurate in the present situation.