Asylum seekers’ human rights: do they exist in Finland? The Future of Refugee Protection and Community Relations in Finland Kaisa Väkiparta, Amnesty International Tampere 1.12.2017

2016, including IDPs, over 65 million

2016

Seeking asylum is a human right

Government Action Plan on Asylum Policy “Finland’s short‐term objective is to stop the uncontrolled flow of asylum seekers into our country, to bring asylum costs under control and to integrate effectively those who have been granted asylum.” http://valtioneuvosto.fi/documents/10184/1058456/Hallituksen_turvapaikkapoliittinen_toimenpideohjelma_08122015%20EN.pdf/3e555cc4-ab01-46af-9cd4-138b2ac5bad0

Government Action Plan on Asylum Policy “Other objectives include enhancing the security situation and carrying capacity of countries of origin, improving the effectiveness of the EU’s external border management, controlling asylum seeker flows in the EU, establishing consistent asylum practices for EU Member States and efficient asylum and return processes for Finland, building cost‐effective and flexible reception capacity for an increased number of asylum seekers, and ensuring an effective integration system and placement in municipalities.” Effectiveness or efficiency mentioned 4 times in this sentence alone!

Human Rights in the Action plan? “The large‐scale entry into a country is related primarily to the conditions prevailing in countries or areas of origin: conflicts and crises, human rights violations and violence, as well as unemployment and generally lack of opportunities to earn a living.” Mentioned three times...

Human Rights in the Action plan? “International human rights obligations bind Finland under international law and as a part of Finnish legislation. International obligations are in accord with the fundamental rights provisions of the Constitution of Finland.”

Human Rights in the Action plan Human Rights in the Action plan? “Russia belongs to the Council of Europe and is a party to the European Convention on Humans Rights as well as the Geneva Refugee Convention and the Convention against Torture; we consider Russia, on the basis of its commitments, to be a safe country of asylum” ...once misspelled

If Human rights don’t fit in the Action plan, what does? Restrictions of legal aid Tightening of family reunification criteria in full under the EU Family Reunification Directive: maintenance requirement Removal of humanitarian protection Re‐evaluation of the security situations (Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia) Review the possibility of internal flight Intensify returns and removals: promote returns with Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia; link our aid measures directed at destination countries to negotiations on return arrangements

What happened after the Action plan? The constitution: We will explore possibilities to change migrants’ social security system so that asylum seekers who have been granted a residence permit do not fall within the scope of residence‐based social security, but have their own separate integration system Empty vote in the EU on relocations, still fulfilled commitment EU-Turkey-deal Border control inside the EU (Denmark, Sweden) EU negotiations on the new Common European Asylum System New initiatives such as criminalizing people who help undocumented migrants

Asylum seekers’ human rights: do they exist in Finland?

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