Temporary protection in Finland granted to over 25,000 people fleeing Ukraine – changes to reporting of statistics

Finland grants temporary protection to those who have fled Ukraine as a result of the Russian attack. After the attack, 28,039 applications for temporary protection have been submitted in Finland. By 15 June 2022, altogether 26,108 applications have been decided.

Temporary protection is applied for by submitting an application to the police or the Border Guard. The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for issuing decisions on the applications. Nearly all decisions (25,892) have been positive. A small share of applications has expired (216) due to the applicant withdrawing their application.

The daily numbers of applications for temporary protection are now lower than in the early stages of the war. At the moment, the police and the border control authorities register approximately one thousand applications for temporary protection every week. In mid-March, they received over 1,200 applications per day. 

Most applications for temporary protection have been submitted by Ukrainian citizens (27,686). The estimated processing time of a temporary protection application is currently around one week. After a decision has been made, the Finnish Immigration Service sends the decision by post.

“In the spring, when the temporary protection process was first started, there were delays in the service of decisions. After the beginning of May, however, applicants have received their decision rather quickly if there has been no need to complement the application with missing information, such as a photograph,” says Antti Lehtinen, Director of Asylum Unit at the Finnish Immigration Service.

Statistics on temporary protection applications and decisions are provided every weekday 

The Finnish Immigration Service updates the statistics on temporary protection every weekday on its website and on Twitter at @Maahanmuuttovir. 

Statistics on asylum applications are also published on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website. In future, however, only the numbers of temporary protection applications and decisions will be published every weekday. Statistics on Ukrainians’ asylum applications will be published monthly in the Finnish Immigration Service’s statistical service, along with the other asylum statistics.

The reason for the change is that nearly all Ukrainians arriving in Finland apply for temporary protection, which Finland, like other EU Member States, grants to people who have fled Ukraine.

After the Russian military attack, 1,747 Ukrainians have applied for asylum in Finland. However, 1,381 of them have also applied for temporary protection. If a person is granted temporary protection, the processing of their asylum application is suspended. 

The clear majority of those who have previously applied for asylum have also applied for and been granted temporary protection. The average processing time of an asylum application, all nationalities included, is approximately eight months at the moment.

Facts: Temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine

• In Finland, applications for temporary protection are submitted to the police or border control authorities. After this, the Finnish Immigration Service will issue a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection.
• The applicant may start working as soon as the application has been registered by the police or border control authority.
• Temporary protection can be granted to Ukrainian citizens who cannot return to Ukraine because of the Russian invasion.
• Protection can also be granted to citizens of countries outside the European Union, citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, and stateless persons fleeing the Russian attack, if they have resided in Ukraine legally and their return to the relevant country of origin safely and permanently is not possible.
• Protection can also be granted to the family members of Ukrainian citizens and of those granted international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine, if the family ties were established in Ukraine before the Russian attack.
• Persons fleeing from Ukraine are given Finnish personal identity codes when they are granted temporary protection. 

Further information for the media:

• Antti Lehtinen, Director of Asylum Unit, tel. +358 295 433 037, email: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
• Statistics on temporary protection
• Press release on 20 May 2022: Temporary protection in Finland granted to over 20,000 people fleeing Ukraine – decisions now issued quickly