Finland has scrapped plans to reduce the number of asylum seekers being taken in from Muslim-majority countries, according to reports
FILE PHOTO: Refugees from Syria in Joustseno, Finland © Getty Images / Milos Bicanski / Stringer Finland has reversed a decision to reduce its quota for refugees from Muslim-majority countries in favor of Christian-majority nations, local media reported this week, citing a statement by the country’s Interior Ministry. Finland provides the annual quota as part of the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR’s resettlement program. The press release issued on Thursday says the government will take in 500 asylum seekers next year, noting that the distribution of countries of origin and refugee groups “is now the same as in 2024.” The document specifies that the Nordic country will receive 150 Afghan refugees from Iran, 120 Congolese from Rwanda, 100 Syrians from Türkiye, and 50 Venezuelans from Peru under next year’s quota. In addition, Finland will welcome 30 refugees who have been sent from Libya to Rwanda and 50 persons from any nationality or region who require emergency evacuation. “In the selection of quota refugees, particular emphasis is placed on the most vulnerable groups,” it stated. According to broadcaster Yle, the decision represents a reversal in previous policy, as Finnish media reported earlier that Interior Minister Mari Rantanen and acting interior minister Lulu Ranne had directed officials to prepare to increase the quota for Christian-majority nations. The reports led to Finland’s Non-Discrimination Ombudsman issuing a warning that such a move would likely be declared discriminatory on religious grounds.
Rantanen has dismissed the reports, telling the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat last week “it has nothing to do with religion,” but is all about “vulnerable people, all of whom have the refugee status.” Official statistics show that since 2000 Finland has received 1,500–6,000 asylum seekers annually, aside from in 2015, when a record 32,476 arrived following the refugee crisis. Since then, the numbers have reportedly leveled off, with the number of applicants increasing in 2022 due to the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. In December 2023, the Finnish Interior Ministry unveiled a new “voluntary return assistance” program under which rejected asylum seekers could receive a heavy sum from Helsinki if they agreed to return to their home countries.
