Queue of applications based on family ties submitted by Somalis is shortening in target

This spring, the Finnish Immigration Service was able to reduce the queue of applications based on family ties submitted by Somalis by more than a thousand applications. At the moment, some 3,000 applications are awaiting processing. The objective is to clear the application queue by the end of 2014.

Over this period, the Finnish Immigration Service also intends to achieve the statutory processing time for applications based on family ties, which is nine months at most. In the last few years, the processing of Somalis' applications based on family ties has taken up to three years.

The congestion is caused by the great number of applications over the last few years

Somalis' residence permit applications based on family ties have piled up to create a backlog, since these applications were submitted between 2009 and 2011 as follows: 2009: 2,267, 2010: 3,986, 2011: 1,886. In 2012, 544 applications were submitted.

The processing of these applications takes longer than usual, since no reliable documents verifying family ties can be acquired from Somalia, and the majority of applicants cannot read or write, necessitating one-on-one interviews with them.

Somalis applying for a residence permit in Finland on the basis of family ties are interviewed in Finnish embassies close to Somalia; most of these interviews take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with some also conducted in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Finnish Immigration Service has visited Nairobi for interviews

Embassies operating under the Ministry for Foreign Affairs are responsible for applications based on family ties. Where required, the Finnish Immigration Service has visited Addis Ababa and Nairobi for interview purposes. A total of six visits were made between 2009 and 2012.

In April 2013, two Finnish Immigration Service officials spent two weeks at the Nairobi embassy. During this time, they interviewed 56 applicants.

More staff added to application processing in Finland

The processing of Somalis' applications based on family ties reached its peak in late 2011, with 6,100 applications pending. At the beginning of 2013, a total of 4,000 applications were pending.

It is likely that the Finnish Immigration Service will be able to clear this congestion within its target schedule, since significantly fewer applications have been received in 2012 and 2013. Between January and June 2012, a total of 378 Somalis applied for residence permits on the basis of family ties, whereas only 257 Somali people applied for permits between January and June 2013.

The main reason for the decrease in applications is probably the fact that, due to legislative amendments in force since the beginning of 2012, a sponsor living in Finland can no longer submit the application on behalf of a family member. Now the residence permit application must be submitted personally by the applicant.

Find out more on family reunification in the background memo

The Finnish Immigration Service has drafted a background memo on applications based on family ties for the media.

The Finnish Immigration Service has previously drafted background memos for the media on consideration regarding marriages of convenience, granting of residence permits for other relatives, deportation, and the asylum procedure and country of origin information.

All these background memos are available from the communications and press servicesunit of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Further information for the media:

Tarja Liikala, Head of Section, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi

Eeva-Maria Nieminen, Senior Adviser, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi