Converting to Christianity will not automatically result in the granting of asylum

The Finnish Immigration Service has noted that an increasing number of asylum seekers are stating they have converted to Christianity in Finland and would thus be in danger in their home country. Claims of conversion to Christianity are also being made more often during the appeal process after a negative asylum decision. There are currently many debates and rumours about this. The Finnish Immigration Service would like to clarify the issue.

Finland has freedom of religion. Everyone can choose their own religion.

Everyone also has the right not to practice or recognise any religion. Followers of many religions live in Finland – Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and others – and they are all free to practice their religion. Followers of all religions are respected as members of Finnish society.

Converting to Christianity in Finland does not automatically mean that the asylum seeker will be granted asylum in Finland. Each asylum application and the grounds for asylum are examined individually. Many factors are taken into consideration in this. The most important consideration is to assess asylum seekers' current risk of having their rights infringed in their home country. Many factors affect this assessment. For instance, Christian baptism on its own is not a sufficient reason to be granted asylum.

Asylum seekers must state in their own words why they are applying for asylum. Support persons and, for instance, parish representatives cannot influence the decisions of the authorities and speak on behalf of the applicant. The applicant’s own experience and individual situation are the most important grounds for the asylum decision.

The authority must be convinced that the reason for seeking asylum is genuine.

If the reason for seeking asylum came about only after the applicant left their home country, the authorities are less likely to be convinced of the need for asylum. This means that the Finnish Immigration Service must evaluate carefully whether the reason for seeking asylum is genuine. In addition, according to Finnish legislation, if the asylum seeker presents new grounds for asylum, they must have especially convincing reasons.

It is also important to remember that if the reasons for granting asylum to a successful asylum applicant change at a later date, asylum may be revoked. If, for instance, a person who converted to Christianity is granted asylum and later ceases to be a Christian, their residence permit may be revoked. Furthermore, if the applicant has intentionally claimed grounds for asylum that are not genuine, such as religion, their asylum and residence permit may be revoked.

For more information on the issue, you can read our press release, “How does converting to Christianity affect asylum applications?”. Releases are published in Finnish, Swedish and English.

You can find the Arabic version through this link.