Antti Lehtinen appointed as Director of Asylum Unit
The Finnish Immigration Service has appointed Antti Lehtinen, Master of Laws, as the new Director of the agency’s Asylum Unit. Lehtinen will begin his work on 1 August 2019.
Press releases
The fact-finding mission to Afghanistan focused on gathering information from Kabul
Researchers from the Finnish Immigration Service’s Country Information Service visited Kabul, Afghanistan, on a fact-finding mission. During the mission, the general conditions in the city were investigated, especially regarding Afghan citizens returning or being returned from Europe.
Monitoring report: The operation of reception centres is usually appropriate, though deficiencies were also found
The Finnish Immigration Service made several monitoring visits to reception centres last year. According to the 2018 monitoring report, the deficiencies detected on the visits were usually minor and the reception centres mainly operated in an appropriate manner.
Fact-finding mission: Measures by authorities directed at Jehovah’s Witnesses continue in Russia
Measures taken by authorities against Jehovah’s Witnesses are reported to have continued in Russia in 2019, reveals a recent country information report published by the Finnish Immigration Service. The measures include house searches conducted in the homes of Jehovah’s Witnesses and arrests around the country.
First fact-finding mission by Finnish Immigration Service researchers goes to Iraq
Researchers of the Finnish Immigration Service’s Country Information Service visited Baghdad, Iraq, on a fact-finding mission.
The new Finnish Startup Permit attracted interest particularly from technology professionals during its first year
A year ago, Business Finland and the Finnish Immigration Service established a new application process for start-up entrepreneurs coming to Finland from outside the European Union. During the first year of operation, Business Finland received more than a hundred requests for an eligibility statement. A positive statement was given on 34 of them, and the Finnish Immigration Service has granted 23 Finnish Startup Permits.
Eight applicants for the post of Director of the Asylum Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service
The application period for the post of Director of the Asylum Unit of the Finnish Immigration Service ended on Wednesday 20 March 2019. A total of eight applicants had applied for the post by the application deadline.
Finnish Immigration Service in 2018: Decrease in reception costs
The costs of receiving asylum seekers continued to decrease in the year under review. The costs of reception amounted to about EUR 189 million in 2018, compared to EUR 282 million in 2017.
