Description of document publicity

The Finnish Immigration Service’s obligation to maintain a description of document publicity is laid down in the Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019; ‘Act on Information Management’).

The purpose of this description of document publicity is to provide general information on how data management at the Finnish Immigration Service is organised and to help with making an information request.

This description of document publicity explains

what an official document is
what official documents the Finnish Immigration Service has
what information systems and datasets the Finnish Immigration Service has
what search parameters can be used to search for information in the Finnish Immigration Service’s systems
how you can request information from the Finnish Immigration Service
where you can find more information.

Document and official document

The definition of a ‘document’ can be found in the Archives Act (831/1994, only in Finnish) and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999, ‘Act on Openness’).

In the Finnish Immigration Service, official documents include the following:

documents drafted by the public servants of the Finnish Immigration Service, such as decisions and statements
documents submitted by customers for the processing of their case, such as additional information and applications
documents submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service on cases that are related to the tasks of the agency or to a matter falling under the jurisdiction of the agency, for example, requests for statements.

The following are examples of documents that are not official documents:

documents drafted or acquired for handling the agency’s internal tasks, for example, notes on training events and informal messages
documents that are delivered to the agency as lost property.

Right of access to an official document

According to the principle of openness, the Finnish Immigration Service’s documents are public unless otherwise stated in the Act on Openness or other legislation. A document may also be declared secret on the basis of an Act. For example, most information stored in the immigration case management system (UMA) is secret, since the information may include personal data, which is always secret.

Anyone can request information on a public document of the Finnish Immigration Service. You may also have the right to request information on a secret document. You may have this right if the information is related to your case, and legislation does not prevent giving the information to you. If you request access to a secret document, your right to access the document is always separately confirmed. You do not need to tell us why you want to access the document.

The Finnish Immigration Service’s information systems and datasets

The information systems the Finnish Immigration Services uses include the case management system ACTA and the immigration case management system UMA. Datasets are large collections of pieces of information that are related to each other physically or logically. Datasets are stored in information systems or archives.

The Finnish Immigration Service does not use any open technical interfaces. Statistics and reports of the Country Information Service are made publicly available on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.

More information on the available statistics and reports.

Immigration case management system UMA

Information on the customers of the Finnish Immigration Service and documents related to handling their cases are stored in the immigration case management system UMA. The datasets stored in UMA include data on the processing of different types of applications, information on reception services, information on the detention of foreign nationals, and customer information such as statements and personal data.

The Finnish Immigration Service is the controller of the data owned by the Finnish Immigration Service and stored in UMA. In addition, the Finnish Immigration Service acts as a personal data processor for other controllers, for example, when the Finnish Immigration Service provides data subjects access to their own data, or corrects, erases or archives personal data in accordance with what has been agreed with the controller.

The following are examples of search parameters that can be used to search for information in UMA:

register number
a person’s name
personal identity code
employer
subject matter, e.g. citizenship, residence permit or international protection.

ACTA case management system

Administrative matters of the Finnish Immigration Service are entered in the ACTA case management system. Datasets stored in the case management system for administrative matters include the following:

statements to be requested
incoming complaints or requests for additional information
administrative complaints
procurement matters
log data requests
requests to review data stored in a register
instructions and guidelines.

The following are examples of search parameters that can be used to search for information in ACTA:

register number
case contact person
task, e.g. citizens’ opinions or administrative complaint
free text search.

Tellus country of origin portal

Tellus contains country of origin information, or information on the situation of a country, to support decision making at the Finnish Immigration Service and for the needs of other stakeholders. The datasets are categorised geographically.

The following are examples of search parameters that can be used to search for information in Tellus:

country
publisher
theme
free text search
material search.

Reports of the Country Information Service are made publicly available on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.

Patient register of reception (Mediatri)

Data on all persons registered at a reception service, to the Assistance system for victims of human trafficking, or at a detention centre is entered in the patient register of reception. Personal and patient data in the patient register is processed in connection with the initial health examination and other healthcare procedures conducted by the nurses at a reception centre, or by a healthcare provider whose services have been procured by a reception centre or detention centre.

Documents containing health data are not public.

Granite risk management system

The Granite system includes information on risks and disturbances occurring in the Finnish Immigration Service. The information entered in the system is related to the risk management and compliance monitoring of the Finnish Immigration Service.

The data is not public, because it may contain secret information on security arrangements or personal data.

Payment card register

Reception centres, registration centres and detention centres give payment cards for persons seeking international protection or receiving temporary international protection and to clients of the Assistance system for victims of human trafficking and to their spouses of similar status for the purpose of paying reception allowance, spending money, or income. The payment card register is used in connection with planning, implementation and monitoring activities.

The register data is not public.

Requesting information from the Finnish Immigration Service

You can request information from the Finnish Immigration Service concerning a document

by email at migri@migri.fi
by fax at 0295 411 720 or
by regular mail from P.O. Box 10, 00086 Finnish Immigration Service

If your email contains personal data or secret information (such as your personal identity code or customer number) please use our secure email service.

More detailed instructions for submitting an information request.

Related legislation:

The General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679)

Act on the Processing of Personal Data in the Field of Immigration Administration (615/2020)

Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019)

Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999)

Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State (150/1992)