A total of 3,238 people applied for asylum in Finland in 2013
In 2013, the number of asylum seekers remained on a par with 2012. A total of 3,238 asylum seekers arrived in the country, while in 2012 the number of asylum seekers was 3,129.
There were 156 unaccompanied minors, which is almost the same number as in 2012, when 167 minors applied for asylum without a guardian.
In 2013, asylum applicants were mainly from the same countries as in previous years. Most applications were submitted by Iraqis (819; 2012: 837), Russians (246; 2012: 226) and Somalis (217; 2012: 203).
The number of applications submitted by citizens of Iran and Nigeria increased from the previous year: the number of applications submitted by Iranian nationals increased by 29 per cent (167 applicants; 2012: 129) and applications by Nigerian nationals by 108 per cent (206 applicants; 2012: 99). A majority of the Nigerians came from other EU Member States, and their applications are handled by way of the Dublin process. In accordance with it, the Member State with the most significant role in the applicant arriving in the EU is responsible for handling the asylum application.
New nationalities among the ten largest applicant groups were Algerians (82 appli-cants) and Moroccans (76 applicants) whose applications have mainly been solved using the Dublin process. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia were no longer in the top ten list.
Slightly under one-half of the decisions made were positive
In 2013, a total of 4,055 asylum seekers received a decision on asylum. Forty-five per cent of the applicants (1,827 persons) received a positive decision, that is, were granted asylum or a residence permit for one reason or another. In 2012, forty-two per cent of the applications received a positive decision.
A total of 556 persons were granted asylum, or refugee status, accounting for 14 per cent of those who received a decision (2012: 15 per cent, 2011: 5 per cent). Of these, 10 were unaccompanied minors. Refugee status is the strongest status of international protection available to an asylum seeker.
The share of asylum decisions, 14 per cent of all decisions, is currently the European average.
Processing times of applications shortened
The average processing time of asylum applications totalled 190 days in 2013. The majority of the applications, 80 per cent, are processed even faster than this, within an average of 156 days. The processing times have become shorter; in 2012, applications were processed within an average of 234 days.
The number of decisions made also increased; in 2013, a total of 4,055 applicants received a decision, while the number of decisions made was 3,780 the previous year.
Development of operations has succeeded in making the processing of asylum applications, the number of processing asylum applications has remained unchanged.
More detailed statistics available online
A more detailed review of asylum-related matters in 2013 is available in Finnish on the Finnish Immigration Service website www.migri.fi > For the media > Statistics > Statistics on asylum and refugees.
Further information for the media
Esko Repo, Director of the Asylum Unit
tel. +358 295 430 431, e-mail: firstname.lastname@migri.fi
Fact: residence permits based on international protection
Asylum: A residence permit granted to an alien outside his or her home country or country of permanent residence due to having justified grounds for fear of persecution there. The reason for the persecution must be ethnic origin, religion, nationality, belonging to a specific social group or political opinions. In addition, it is required that the applicant is not willing to seek protection from the state of question due to his or her fear.
Residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection: Granted when the requirements for granting asylum are not met but the applicant is threatened in his or her home country or country of permanent residence by capital punishment, execution, torture or other inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment. A permit may also be granted if it is apparent that the applicant is unable to return to his or her home country or country of permanent residence without being exposed to considerable personal danger owing to armed conflict.
Residence permit on the basis of humanitarian protection: Granted when the requirements for granting asylum or subsidiary protection are not met but the applicant is unable to return to his or her home country or country of permanent residence because of an environmental catastrophe occurring there, or because of prevailing poor security circumstances there which may be caused by armed conflict or a troubled human rights situation.
Refugee status is granted to an alien who
- has been granted asylum in Finland
- has been granted an entry permit to Finland within the budgeted limit of the refugee quota
- is a family member of an alien referred to above, who has been granted a residence permit on the basis of family ties and should be considered a refugee.
