The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) will pilot a new type of reception centre with focus on promoting and supporting voluntary and forced returns, said the Migri in a press release on Friday.
The pilot scheme will be launched in June this year2025 at the reception centre at Robert Huberintie in Vantaa.
In addition to normal reception services, the return centre will provide asylum seekers with more extensive advice on voluntary return and support with return arrangements.
The aim of the pilot scheme is to increase the effectiveness of asylum seekers’ voluntary return and streamline the enforcement of returns by the police.
“The pilot scheme is necessary because voluntary and forced returns are currently not sufficiently quick and efficient in situations where right of residence in Finland cannot be granted. New ways to increase the effectiveness of returns are currently being sought at EU level as well,” said Ilkka Haahtela, Director General of the Migri.
The centre will primarily house asylum seekers who have submitted a subsequent application or received a final decision on removal from the country.
The centre will also house asylum seekers whose applications show signs of being manifestly unfounded.
In addition, the centre will accommodate asylum seekers whose applications will be examined by a country other than Finland.
The Migri is responsible for referring the asylum seekers to the return centre in cooperation with reception centres and the police.
The immigrants without valid documents will be informed personally of their possible move to the return centre. All asylum applications submitted by return centre clients will be decided individually.
“Our goal is that applicants who have received a negative decision return to their countries of origin as soon as possible and that a larger number of applicants will use the voluntary return option. There has been an increase in the numbers of assisted voluntary return and decisions on removal from the country already during the year 2024. The pilot scheme aims to test whether the number of returns can be further enhanced by centralising the return support operations and clients who will benefit from them,” Haahtela added.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
