Reception centres for minors to become family group homes for children who have been granted a residence permit

The Finnish Immigration Service and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy:

Reception centres that were established for unaccompanied minor asylum seekers will be turned into family group homes or units for supported housing.

This new initiative by the Finnish Immigration Service and the ELY centres working under the Ministry of Employment and the Economy has already been agreed on by a number of municipalities and service providers. The number of reception centres for minors needs to be reduced, which means that the services of tens of reception centres for minors would no longer be provided without the practice that has now been agreed upon.

Minors awaiting their asylum decision and children and young people who have already been granted a residence permit can temporarily stay at these new units.

The new practice supports integration and leads to savings in public funds

The closing down of reception centres has previously meant that minors who are still awaiting a decision on their residence permit application have been transferred to free beds in the remaining reception centres. Minors who have already been granted a residence permit have until now also had to leave the reception centres and in many cases move to another area.

The majority of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in Finland are granted a residence permit. The new practice supports the integration of children and young people, as they are able to continue to live in a place and an area that they have already become familiar with. This also means that the education, hobbies and social network of the children remain unchanged.

The new practice also leads to savings in public funds, as the number of inhabitants of the housing units can be optimised. The changes in the arrangements also lead to savings compared to the costs for establishing new family group homes. The staff at the reception centres that are closed down will be offered the possibility to keep their job.

The previous maintenance contracts between the operators and the Finnish Immigration Service will now be turned directly or over time into contracts between the municipalities and the operators. During the transition period, the Finnish Immigration Service, the ELY centres and the municipality will reach an agreement on the costs.

Further information for the media:

Mikko Välisalo, Head of Development, Reception Unit, Finnish Immigration Service, tel. +358 295 430 431, e-mail: forename.surname@migri.fi

Paula Karjalainen, Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, tel. +358 295 047 117, e-mail: forename.surname@tem.fi