Today, Initiative FoReDi has submitted an official appeal to the Director of the Finnish Immigration Service, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, and the Chancellor of Justice of Finland regarding the fact that many Russian citizens have been awaiting decisions on their applications for international protection for over two years.
Below are excerpts from the appeal in English:
The majority of applications for international protection were submitted from September to November 2022. During 2023, some applicants received interview invitations from the Finnish Immigration Service, but some have still received neither a decision nor an initial interview invitation, despite more than 21 months passing since they applied.
The delay in processing these applications violates the Finnish Aliens Act, dated April 30, 2004 (Section 301, § 98 a), which mandates that decisions must be issued within 21 months, even if there is instability in the country of origin.
While in asylum-seeker status, many individuals continued to seek work and education opportunities, and around a quarter of them are no longer asylum seekers. However, as of September 1, 2024, legislation was amended to prohibit asylum seekers from obtaining work or student residence permits while awaiting a decision on their case. This measure places applicants in a position of forced dependency on temporary accommodation centers, where living conditions are far from comfortable and have a negative impact on their mental well-being.
The Finnish Immigration Service often relies on formal criteria when determining the level of threat to applicants should they remain in the Russian Federation. However, we have recently encountered numerous instances of Russian authorities prosecuting individuals upon their return. Participation in anti-war or LGBTQ+ rallies, donations to international charities, or collaboration with human rights organizations deemed ‘undesirable’ and ‘extremist’ in Russia are increasingly cited as grounds for criminal charges.
The full text of the letter in Finnish is available in the attachment to this publication.
Initiative FoReDi urges Finnish officials to address the delays in processing times established by law and to facilitate a balanced and fair review of applications for international protection in Finland.
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