Annual report of the Finnish Immigration Service 2008
The first year in the history of the Finnish Immigration Service, 2008, was a year of service developments. The objective of promoting predictability and transparency, set out in the Finnish government’s programme, was adapted as the fundamental guideline for both the vision of the authority and its policies. The motto was defined as “Better service for all”.
During the year the objectives took shape among other things as a joint services agreement. Since December the customers of the Finnish Immigration Service have received information and advice also from the Immigrants Information Point of the City of Helsinki, in Itäkeskus. The office’s employees have immigrant-background and they serve customers in ten languages.
One objective was also to attain identical policies throughout the entire authority: consistent quality, and producing good service experiences and informative services. Further development of the common customer service policies was started by the entire personnel.
Case management will become genuinely inter-authority
Preparation for one of the most significant development projects, the electronic case management system for immigration processes (UMA), reached its final phases in 2008. When completed, the UMA will be a genuine inter-authority system, used in liaison between many authorities, including the Finnish Immigration Service, the police, the Finnish Border Guard and Finnish missions abroad.
Enhanced co-operation
Enhanced cooperation continued also with interest groups. One of the most significant projects undertaken was the work on further development of asylum interviews, carried out in cooperation with the Refugee Advice Centre. This was the first time that asylum process has been developed jointly by an NGO and officials.
The Advisory Board of the Finnish Immigration Service was established at the beginning of 2008. It gathers together several interest groups, ranging from organisations to representatives of the commercial and industrial sectors.
The annual report 2008 of the Finnish Immigration Service can be read on the website www.migri.fi > About us > Publications.
Further information for the media: Director General Jorma Vuorio, tel. 071 873 0431, e-mail: jorma.vuorio@migri.fi
20.4.2009
