The Finnish Immigration Service partly suspended decisions on asylum applications in February 2026 due to changes in the security situation in Iran. Since then, the Finnish Immigration Service has monitored the situation in the country and gathered information on it. Based on this information, the Service can continue to process the asylum applications of all Iranians.
Suspending decision-making is a normal practice in EU Member States when significant changes take place in a country's security situation, the impacts of which on the asylum seeker’s situation cannot be assessed.
Up-to-date country information is always needed at the time of making asylum decisions. Country information refers to information obtained from different sources on circumstances in a state, including political and social conditions, the humanitarian situation or the human rights and security situation. Previously, decision-making was only suspended for those applications that could not be decided without obtaining more information on the situation in the country.
“When major changes occur in the situation of asylum seekers' country of origin, the impacts of which on their situation cannot be assessed, we suspend decision-making to the necessary extent. We then monitor the situation in the country and gather information about it. Now that we have enough information, we will continue to make decisions and try and make them as soon as possible," says Matias Kallio, Chief Specialist in the Legal Service.
The Finnish Immigration Service is currently processing around 100 asylum applications submitted by Iranians. An individual decision will be made on each asylum application.
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