Finnish Immigration Service to take over permit matters regarding foreign nationals – locations still to be decided
According to a proposal, the Finnish Immigration Service will take over the permit matters regarding foreign nationals that currently are handled by the police. A government proposal concerning the transfer of these duties is expected to be submitted to Parliament during the spring session 2016.
According to the proposal, the following duties will be transferred to the Finnish Immigration Service from the police at the beginning of 2017:
- reception and processing of residence permit applications
- reception of citizenship applications
- registration of EU citizens and applications for their family members’ residence cards
- duties relating to refugee travel documents and alien’s passports
- duties relating to service of decisions.
When the duties are transferred, the service points that provide customer service will be concentrated in certain municipalities, where the police have handled permit matters for foreign nationals before. Some members of the personnel that have dealt with such matters will become employed by the Finnish Immigration Service. The transfer will not create any new jobs and the operations of the Finnish Immigration Service are not being decentralised.
No decisions yet on locations
The coordination group for regionalisation under the Ministry of Finance has requested a separate investigation concerning suitable locations. The investigation is still ongoing.
The investigation includes 26 municipalities, which will be heard in writing by 24 March. These municipalities are Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Lahti, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Maarianhamina, Kouvola, Nokia, Ylöjärvi, Kaarina, Hämeenlinna, Raisio, Joensuu, Seinäjoki, Jyväskylä, Laihia, Lapua, Kemi, Tornio, Iisalmi, Siilinjärvi and Kuhmo. The Finnish Immigration Service has included Helsinki, Lappeenranta, Lahti, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa, Kuopio, Oulu and Rovaniemi in its initial plans. The list is, however, preliminary.
The coordination group for regionalisation considers the matter at the end of March. Information about the decisions will be given once they are final.
The Finnish Immigration Service has proposed certain municipalities having regard to the municipalities where the highest numbers of applications are submitted and that are the most accessible for customers.
The service points that handle permit matters for foreign nationals will not process asylum applications. Their future location will not affect the location of reception centres, the registration centre in Tornio or the municipal placement of persons who have been granted international protection. The location of the Border Guard will not affect the establishment of the future service points.
Asylum investigations are conducted in seven municipalities
As part of the transfer of competence, the Finnish Immigration Service has taken over asylum investigations from the police on 1 March 2016. The asylum investigation is conducted to establish the applicant’s identity and travel route.
Asylum applications are processed at the offices of the Asylum Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service in Rovaniemi, Oulu, Kuhmo, Vaasa, Turku, Helsinki and Lappeenranta.
Further information for the media:
Tutta Tuomainen, Head of Development, Immigration Unit, tel. 0295 430 431, e-mail firstname.lastname@migri.fi
