Around 300 asylum seekers per day have recently been arriving in Finland. The reception units already up and running are full. Accommodation is needed for up to two thousand new asylum seekers each week. This means that a number of new reception units are required on a weekly basis.
Although the processing of asylum applications has been made more effective through cooperation between the Finnish Immigration Service and the police, applicants who have received their decision are not yet leaving reception units as fast as new asylum seekers are arriving.
Need for both premises and administrators to run the operations
The Finnish Immigration Service received several offers of accommodation in the early autumn. Although some of these have still not been checked, it is already clear that more are needed. There is a particular need for large facilities designed for accommodation and with capacity for at least 150 beds. Smaller premises are also needed, because even accommodation for a few dozen individuals can be considered as group homes and supported housing units for unaccompanied children.
There is also a pressing need for new administrators that run reception operations. The Finnish Immigration Service invites municipalities in particular to participate, as well as large organisations in general and companies in the social and healthcare sector.
Nearly 26,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Finland this year so far. Around 24,000 asylum seekers have been accommodated in reception units at around 115 different addresses. More than half of the reception units are currently run by the Finnish Red Cross. One factor affecting the capacity of the reception units is the fact that there is not enough housing for those who have received a positive decision.
If you would like to offer premises or run the operations of a reception unit, please contact us, primarily by email, at tilannekeskus@migri.fi.
Further information for the media
Jorma Kuuluvainen, Director, Reception Unit, Finnish Immigration Service
Tel. 0295 430 431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi
