Reception centre capacity will be reduced by nearly 6,000 beds
The Finnish Immigration Service has decided to close down 23 reception centres intended for adults and families and 21 units for minors. Most of them will be closed by the end of November. Accommodation capacity will also be reduced in several reception centres in which operations will continue.
The closures, expiry of agreements and capacity cuts will reduce the number of accommodation capacity by approximately 5,800 beds in total, with units intended for unaccompanied minors accounting for almost 900 beds.
In February, the Finnish Immigration Service announced that reception centre capacity will be reduced by about 3,000 beds. At the end of March, a further reduction of about 7,200 beds was announced. These closures and capacity cuts will take place mainly between May and September. The decisions made now and earlier on capacity cuts will thus reduce the accommodation capacity by approximately 16,000 beds in total.
After these and previously announced closures and cuts in accommodation capacity, the number of beds will total around 15,000 in units housing adults and around 800 in units housing minors.
Units are closed down due to a decrease in the number of asylum seekers
Reception centres are opened and closed down when necessary. During the early part of the year, the number of asylum seekers has been moderate, while beds in units are becoming vacant as asylum seekers receive decisions, move into municipalities or leave the country.
Due to tight expenditure control, accommodation capacity is now being reduced as much as possible. If the situation changes during the coming months and more accommodation capacity is needed than expected, the capacity cuts now announced can be reconsidered.
Reception units to be closed down and downsized
The accommodation capacity in reception centres for adults and families will be reduced by 4,849 beds in total.
Reception centres to be closed:
- Harjavalta, Finnish Red Cross (FRC), 140 beds, by 30 November
- Heinola, Viittakivi Oy, 185 beds, by 31 December
- Helsinki/Ruskeasuo, FRC, 102 beds, by 30 November
- Hämeenlinna/Iittala, FRC, 190 beds, by 31 July
- Jyväskylä/Puuppola, FRC, 123 beds, by 30 November
- Jyväskylä/Kangasvuori, FRC, 140 beds, by 30 November
- Espoo/Otaniemi, Luona Oy, 400 beds, by 31 January 2017
- Kotka/Ankkuri, FRC, 97 beds, by 31 December
- Lahti/Tapanilakoti, Viittakivi Oy, 188 beds, by 30 November
- Lahti/Kärkölä, FRC, 65 beds, by 30 November
- Lappeenranta/Saimaantie, the State, 118 beds, by 31 December
- Kolari, FRC, 150 beds, by 30 November
- Korsnäs, FRC, 145 beds, by 30 November
- Kuopio, Kuopion Setlementti Puijola, 150 beds, by 30 November
- Kyyjärvi, FRC, 70 beds, by 30 November
- Nurmijärvi, FRC, 220 beds, by 30 November
- Orimattila, FRC, 200 beds, by 30 November
- Porvoo, FRC, 109 beds, by 30 November
- Pälkäne, FRC, 78 beds, by 30 November
- Salo, Medivida Oy, 200 beds, by 31 December
- Tampere/Rautaharkko, Metsätähti Oy, 80 beds, by 31 January 2017
- Turku/Mäntykoti, FRC, 150 beds, by 30 November
- Viitasaari, FRC, 144 beds, by 30 November
Total number of beds: 3,444
Capacity reductions:
- Helsinki/Metsäläntie, City of Helsinki, 100 beds, by 30 November
- Hämeenlinna/Lammi, FRC, 100 beds, by 30 November
- Lappeenranta/Joutseno Konnunsuo, the State, 70 beds, by 31 December
- Jyväskylä/Salmiranta, FRC, 20 beds, by 30 November
- Kauhava, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Kemi, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Kemijärvi, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Keuruu, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Kitee, FRC, 80 beds, by 30 November
- Kouvola, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Kristinestad, FRC, 70 beds, by 30 November
- Lahti/Hennala, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Laitila, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Lieksa, Lieksa Christian Community College Relief Association, 85 beds, by 30 November
- Mikkeli, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Oulu/Heikinharju, the State, 140 beds, by 31 December
- Pudasjärvi, the State, 70 beds, by 31 December
- Pori, FRC, 60 beds, by 30 November
- Raseborg/Meltola, FRC, 60 beds, by 30 November
- Ruukki, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Tornio, FRC, 50 beds, by 30 November
- Vaasa, Municipality of Vaasa, 50 beds, by 30 November
Total number of beds: 1,405
Units for minors
The accommodation capacity in supported housing units and group homes intended for accompanied minors will be reduced by 869 beds in total.
Units for minors to be closed:
- Espoo, City of Espoo, 21 beds, by 30 November
- Hartola, Kepilä, 21 beds, by 30 November
- Helsinki, Helsinki Deaconess Institute Foundation, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Helsinki, FRC, 14 beds, by 30 November
- Huittinen, AMF Vastaanottopalvelut Oy, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Hämeenlinna, Neveles Oy, 30 beds, by 30 November
- Kangasala, Ahokodit Oy, 30 beds, by 31 December
- Kemi, Kainuun Hoivataito Oy, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Keuruu, FRC, 32 beds, by 30 November
- Kotka, A-Clinic Foundation, 30 beds, by 30 November
- Kuusamo, Nuorten Ystävät -palvelut Oy, 14 beds, by 30 November
- Lohja, FRC, 14 beds, by 30 November
- Oulu, Arjen Avain Oy (ODL), 50 beds, by 30 November
- Oulu, Oulu Mother and Child Home, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Pertunmaa, Hetikoti Oy, 24 beds, by 30 November
- Porvoo, FRC, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Sipoo, Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, Uusimaa District, 21 beds, by 30 November
- Turku, Medivida Oy, 40 beds, by 30 November
- Valkeakoski, Pirkanmaan Sininauha, 24 beds, by 31 December
- Ylöjärvi, Pirkanmaan Sininauha, 14 beds, by 31 December
- Äänekoski, Ankkuri Lastensuojelupalvelut Oy, 24 beds, by 30 November
Total number of beds: 603
Units for minors to be closed down due to expiry of agreement:
- Evangeliska folkhögskolan, 25 beds, by 20 October
- Savonlinna Christian Institute, 37 beds, by 30 November
- Turku Christian Institute, 15 beds, by 30 June
- Valkeala Institute, 15 beds, by 12 October
Total number of beds: 92
Capacity reductions:
- Espoo, Save the Children, 16 beds, by 31 July
- Hämeenlinna, National Institute for Health and Welfare, 7 beds, by 31 December
- Jyväskylä, Jyväskylän seudun tukikodit Oy, 20 beds, by 31 December
- Kotka, City of Kotka, 12 beds, by 31 August
- Mänttä-Vilppula, Siivet Oy, 12 beds, by 30 September
- Nurmijärvi, Kalliola Patron’s Association, 14 beds, by 31 August
- Oulu, Save the Children, 6 beds, by 31 July
- Oulu, the State, 26 beds, by 31 December
- Salo, Kalliola Patron’s Association, 26 beds, by 31 August
- Seinäjoki, Arjessa Yhtiöt, 18 beds, by 30 September
- Tampere, Toivontupa, 7 beds, by 31 December
- Turku, FRC, 10 beds, by 30 September
Total number of beds: 174
In total, 5,718 beds will be reduced from reception units.
Unit-specific schedules may change.
Further information for the media
Jorma Kuuluvainen, Director of Reception Unit, tel. 0295 430 431, firstname.lastname@migri.fi
On 30 May 2016 at 15.00, the date when three units for minors will be closed was corrected.
