Promoting closer cooperation: Director General Ilkka Haahtela met with Director General Egert Belitšev from Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board

On 7 February 2024, Director General Ilkka Haahtela from the Finnish Immigration Service met with Director General Egert Belitšev from Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board. In Estonia, the Police and Border Guard Board is responsible for foreigners’ permits. This meeting between the two Director Generals was the first of its kind.

“In the present-day security environment, a closer cooperation with the Baltic countries in immigration issues is extremely important. In this meeting, we agreed on a closer cooperation and discussed current issues related to security, digitalisation and boosting the efficiency of permit processing,” says Director General Ilkka Haahtela.

In Estonia, the responsibilities of the Police and Border Guard Board include, among other duties, issuing residence permits for foreigners and the reception of asylum seekers. In total, the agency has approximately 4,500 employees. 

Media inquiries

Contact requests: Press and Communications Services of the Finnish Immigration Service, email: media@migri.fi, tel. 0295 433 037