Accomodation for adolescent asylum seekers at folk high schools

Accommodation for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers nearing adulthood will now be provided at folk high schools. The Lieksa Christian Community College, the Turku Christian Institute, the Eastern Karelia Community College, the Church Training College in Järvenpää and the Evangelical Folk High School of Kitee have already welcomed their first such occupants, aged 16 to 17. It is estimated that folk high schools might be able to house 120 to 150 adolescents.

The folk high schools selected for this service will offer the adolescents supported housing and education. The purpose of the education is to help the adolescents to find employment and further training while also improving their social, cultural and life management skills.

While accommodated at folk high schools, these adolescent asylum seekers will still be registered at reception centres for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers, which will continue to provide their social welfare and health care services, among other things.

New beds for minors in four municipalities

The number of reception centre beds for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers will be increased in four municipalities:

• In Tampere, a seven-bed group home for under 16-year-olds will be opened at the Satakieli group family home. Run by the City of Tampere, the group home will welcome its first occupants on 14 September.
• In Kristiinankaupunki, a 20-bed supported housing unit for adolescents aged 16 to 17 will be opened by the end of September. Administratively, this unit will form part of the Finnish Red Cross reception centre in Kristiinankaupunki.
• In Espoo, the 21-bed group home for under 16-year-olds will be expanded with a further 21 beds as of 14 September. The home is run by the City of Espoo.
• At Harjulinna in Siuntio, a supported housing unit with at least 21 beds will be reopened by the end of September. This unit will be run by the Helsinki and Uusimaa district of the Finnish Red Cross.

Also, a unit that will house 27 minors altogether is being planned in Hämeenkyrö, with seven group home beds for under 16-year-olds and 20 supported housing unit beds for adolescents aged 16 to 17. The Hämeenkyrö local authority will decide on the matter next week. The Hämeenkyrö unit would be run by the Häme district of the Finnish Red Cross.

In addition to the above, the Finnish Immigration Service is exploring possibilities in several municipalities for establishing group homes and supported housing units for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers.

Increasing number of unaccompanied minors

The number of asylum seekers has increased substantially all over Europe this summer. As of the end of last week, 5,967 persons had applied for asylum in Finland this year, of whom 453 are unaccompanied minors. By comparison, the total number of applicants in 2014 was 3,651, of whom 196 were unaccompanied minors.

At the moment, there are group homes and supported housing units for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in 11 municipalities in Finland.

Further information

Olli Snellman, Senior Adviser, Reception Unit, Finnish Immigration Service
tel. 0295 430 431, olli.snellman@migri.fi