The number of asylum seekers has increased by over a third from last year

The number of people seeking asylum in Finland was 38 per cent higher in January–April than in the same period last year. At the beginning of the year, the average number of asylum seekers per month was 338. In 2014, the corresponding figure was 245.

By the end of April, 1,354 people, including 98 unaccompanied minors, had sought asylum in Finland. Based on experiences from previous years, the number of asylum seekers is expected to increase further during the summer and autumn. The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that as many as 5,000 people will have sought asylum by the end of the year. In 2014, the total number of asylum seekers was 3,651. The number has been higher than 5,000 only in 2009 (5,988).

At the beginning of the year, most asylum seekers came from Iraq (340), Somalia (261) and Kosovo (71). The number of Somalis is particularly on the increase. The statistics also show an increase in the number of asylum seekers from Afghanistan (66), Morocco (46), Kosovo and Albania (45).

In Europe, there has been a general increase in the number of asylum seekers, although in Sweden the number of people seeking asylum has been slightly lower than before. Developments in crisis situations around the world are an underlying cause: the security situation in, for example, Iraq, Syria, Somalia and Afghanistan is at least as poor as before, and a large number of asylum seekers come to Finland from these countries. The main routes to Europe run through the Balkans and across the Mediterranean to Italy. More and more people especially from North Africa come to the EU.

The costs will go up unless additional employees are hired

Last year, the average processing time for asylum applications was 170 days. In January–April, it took 157 days on average to issue a decision on an asylum application. However, there is a risk that the processing times will become longer, because the resources for making asylum decisions at the Finnish Immigration Service are dimensioned according to the number of asylum seekers in previous years. The interview appointments currently booked for new asylum seekers are in the summer or autumn.

The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that 20–25 additional employees are needed for its decision-making in order to prevent an overload in the reception system and a considerable increase in the accommodation costs, like in 2008–2009 in a similar situation.

According to the Finnish Immigration Service, the current personnel are able to issue a decision to at least 4,000 asylum seekers. If the number of asylum seekers will total around 5,000, approximately 1,000 more asylum seekers than budgeted will be waiting for their decisions at the reception centres. Providing accommodation for one thousand asylum seekers costs the state approximately 15 million euros a year.

At the moment, 91 per cent of the accommodation capacity is in use at the reception centres. The capacity can be increased quickly by 200 accommodation places if necessary.

Further information for the media

Esko Repo, Director of Asylum Unit, tel. 0295 430 431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi