Work, studies and family attract to Finland

Residence permit applications by foreign citizens increased in Finland by some 25 per cent in January–April 2008, compared to the corresponding period in 2007. An unprecedented amount of 6,198 residence permit applications were submitted during the first four months.

The applications for studies increased by 11 and the applications for work by 21 per cent. The numbers of residence permit applications on the basis of family ties increased by as many as 37 per cent from the corresponding period in 2007. The Finnish Immigration Service foresaw as early as last year that as work-related immigration increases, also the applications on the basis of family ties will increase.

Also the amount of decisions on residence permit applications rose at the beginning of the year by 28 per cent. The proportion of positive decisions was about 87 per cent. Despite the increase in the number of applications, the processing times have hardly been drawn out. The applications on the basis of family ties were processed even dozens of days faster than the year before. The processing times for applications for studies have lengthened due to certain applications submitted last year which require a lot of clarification.

40 applicants have already been granted asylum

The amount of asylum applications rose in January–April by 20 per cent from the year before. The biggest groups applying for asylum this year have been the Iraqis (150), the Somalis (50) and the Russians (44). Applications made by the Somalis have increased most rapidly.

During the first four months the number of applicants from Iraq was almost half of the amount during the whole last year (2007: 327). The reason for this might be the slightly different decision-making practice in Sweden, in other words Sweden’s negative decisions to some asylum applicants from Iraq.

Altogether 40 persons were granted asylum in January–April. The amount has clearly been growing: during the whole year 2007 68 foreigners were granted asylum, in 2006 the number was 38. When we examine the substantively solved applications (others than Dublin decisions and lapsed), 61 per cent of the ones who received a decision were allowed to stay in Finland either on the grounds of asylum or a residence permit.

Exact analyses of the residence permit and asylum issues can be found in Finnish on the Internet: www.migri.fi > Statistics.

Further information for the media:

• residence permit issues: Head of Section Pauliina Helminen, Immigration Unit, tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: pauliina.helminen@migri.fi
• asylum issues: Director of Asylum Unit Esko Repo,
  tel. +358 71 873 0431, e-mail: esko.repo@migri.fi

22.5.2008