An expected growth of one fifth in applications based on family ties

The Finnish Immigration Service estimates that a total of about 12,000 applications based on family ties will be submitted this year. This is 22 per cent more than in 2015, when 9,471 applications based on family ties were submitted.

The increase is mainly a result of residence permit applications made by family members of persons who have been granted international protection. This year, family members of persons who have been granted international protection are estimated to submit about 3,000 applications, when only 770 applications were submitted in 2015.

Last year, a total of 32,476 persons applied for international protection in Finland, compared to 2014 when there were 3,651 applicants. Family members of asylum seekers may apply for a residence permit based on family ties when their family member in Finland has been granted a permit to stay in Finland.

As during previous years, family members of other foreign nationals, such as people coming to Finland to work or study, are expected to submit the most applications. This year, they are expected to submit about half of all applications based on family ties. This year, family members of Finnish citizens are expected to submit about 3,000 residence permit applications.

Number of applications according to groups 2011–2015

Increase in the number of applications at the beginning of the year

The estimate was created based on the development in the number of applications based on family ties at the beginning of the year and in the long run. Since an application must be submitted personally at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad, the number of booked appointments at the missions was also used as a basis for the estimate.

Family members of asylum seekers who came to Finland last fall have already started to apply for permits, but so far the number of applications has been moderate.

Most common nationalities at the beginning of the year in 2015 and 2016

The ten largest nationalities in 2015, and Afghanistan and Syria.

It is still too early to say how many applications will be submitted, for example, during next year and if the current estimation will change during the fall, when the 13 000 asylum seekers currently waiting for a decision will receive their decisions. The number of applicants is affected by, for example, the number of positive decisions the asylum seekers will receive and how big their families are.

Further information for the media

Tiina Suominen, Director of Immigration Unit, tel. +358 295 430 431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi

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