Following recent decisions by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Council of the European Union, the Finnish Immigration Service has changed its decision-making practice and, as a rule, will no longer grant temporary protection to applicants who already hold a residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection in another EU Member State. According to the Council decision made in July 2025, the main principle is that a person can benefit from the rights linked to temporary protection only in one Member State at a time. Following this principle will help countries control and avoid overlapping registrations. The Finnish Immigration Service started preparing its new guidelines after the Council decision was issued.
Temporary protection is a form of protection intended for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. It is a mechanism for offering temporary protection after a quick process that is less complex than the asylum procedure. Temporary protection is based on the Temporary Protection Directive of the European Union, which is now in use for the first time. The duration of the temporary protection is determined by the European Union.
According to decisions by the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Council of the European Union, a person may benefit from the rights linked to temporary protection only in one Member State at a time. In line with these decisions, Member States may reject an application for temporary protection if it is apparent that the applicant has already been granted temporary protection on the same basis in another Member State.
The Finnish Immigration Service makes an individual assessment of each application. Factors such as the protection of family life will be taken into account in the decisions. If a negative decision is made, the client’s reception services will end when the client is informed of the negative decision.
The Finnish Immigration Service will continue granting temporary to Ukrainians who meet the requirements for temporary protection and who have not been granted temporary protection by another EU Member State. This year, by the end of October, a total of 9,937 persons have applied for temporary protection in Finland.
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